A Dose of Karma
by Mud Person
Summary: Post TAC (AU). Artemis has a worsening condition which is surprisingly a normal sickness for humans and not something fairy related nor grandeur. But that isn't just where his troubles lie yet again, he and the motley crew are swept in a whirlwind of revenge, torture, trust and adventure. There's also the bit about getting turned into an elf! (talk about bad luck..) A/H
1. A Short Prologue

**Greetings! Well.. this is a bit embarrassing xD I've read AF for a long time and today it just hit me that i'd try making a fanfic out of it because we all love the Artemis Fowl series.. yeeeep. It's a bit short since it's just the prologue. don't forget to Rate and Review please! thank you pretty ladies *wink wink* (and guys too no offense)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Artemis Fowl and any of its characters because let's face it... Eion gets all the credit even if i make a thousand euro out of this thing.**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Atlantis, Opal Koboi's Cell<em>

The incessant murmurs and continuous shuffling of the station guards did not help Opal Koboi's temper at all. For the past few days, she began tearing her hair out in rage from the disbelief finally dawning on her, of having the mud boy escape the clutches of Turnball Root's pathetic attempt to control Atlantis and reunite with his mud wife. She had a few month's pleasure knowing the suffer Artemis was going through his Atlantis Complex but a few gossips from the guards outside her cell confirms that Dr. J. Argon apparently discharged him with a full clean bill of health. No doubt he is now more than capable of thwarting any scheme thrown at him, dismayed Opal.

To say that she is the least displeased with the abrupt turn of events is a complete understatement. She seethed more under the harsh reality that Artemis has won again and might possibly continue winning if the odds were against her favor, which were mostly true in her case. She deliberately clawed through her prison blanket and ripped the dull fabric to shreds, her fingers once again catching her hair and proceeded to pull it out. She panted breathlessly and after a long moment, willed herself to calm down. As if on cue, she caught the two guards whispering her name to each other. Opal inched her way towards a corner nearest to the breathing holes where the voices could be heard and crept quietly. She slowed her breathing and strained her ears to hear every bit of their conversation.

"...and the higher ups haven't caught her yet" said the nervous murmur of the gnome to his partner, a sprite. Opal felt her pulse quicken and found herself intrigued of whom they were talking about.

"Since future Opal here doesn't even know a thing about what happened nearly a year ago, it seems we don't even have to worry." The sprite replied not so subtly and was given a harsh nudge with an elbow to the rib by his partner afterwards. He gave his a partner a glare before attempting to talk again and resorted to lower his voice down to a notch.

"We'll have to increase security measures by next week and the world won't be ruled by insane megalomaniacal pixies in tutus for all I care. Sound good?" he drawled lazily and grinned at his partner, this made the gnome chuckle and nodded his agreement.

The exchange left Opal struggling to keep her from bursting and mercilessly strangle the two idiots like an animal if not for her present predicament. She gnashed her teeth and just for a moment, madness burned in her eyes but eventually died down as she took long deep breaths. Opal focused on the more important parts of the conversation, ignoring the insults she just heard a moment ago. Besides, the simple logic and pathetic humor those two have are bad for her perfect ears and might ruin her complexion, she reasoned.

Any fool with half a brain can deduce that if there is a 'Future Opal', then surely a 'Past Opal' exists in the present, Opal thought. She racked her brain for several minutes before coming up with a roughly placed plan. The plan is missing some components and Opal is determined to avoid failure this time. She closed her eyes and abruptly opened them, if anyone was present, they could swear they'd seen a bulb light up above the ex-pixie's head.

"What was that interesting book I read said about some telepathy and time travel?" her lips twitched upwards to reveal a grin reminiscent of one Artemis Fowl and cackled madly to herself, whispering facts and equations behind the impregnable walls of her cell.

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><p><strong>Eh so that's the end of the prologue, watch out for more ;) probably updating every week or so. That juicy button looks really irresistible right now don't you think so ladies? (and guys) R &amp; R please :P<strong>


	2. A Pressing Predicament

**Why hey there mateys! here's Chapter 1 for the week and hopefully, it isn't as boring as the prologue. I might update faster if i get some reviews y'know ;) **

**DISCLAIMER: I might own Artemis Fowl in a different universe but in this one, only Eion Colfer has the rights to own the ****characters and the books, alright? **

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Holly Short's Apartment, Three Months Later<em>

"Artemis!" Holly bolted upright in her futon, gasping and sweating profusely. She cupped her cheeks with both hands and buried her face under the countless pillows and blankets surrounding her while trembling slightly. Some time passed and ever so slowly, Holly raised her head to reveal dark circles under red rimmed eyes and groaned loudly realizing she's been having the same nightmare for the past couple of months.

Anyhow, the cause of this particular complication is thousands of miles above ground in Southern Ireland and sadly too far away to be pummeled senseless in oblivion by a certain perturbed female elf.

Captain Holly Short turned Major of the LEP has been a great asset during those countless times saving the world against a certain pixie megalomaniac. Of course, these ventures would have been proven a lot more than a tad annoying in the Lower Elements if not for the People's number one enemy who in a few years time became their human ally, the teenage criminal genius mastermind Artemis Fowl II. Their latest escapade however, left the Major in a state of enormous concern towards her human friend. Though she would never admit how Artemis' ordeal with his Atlantis Complex got to her and found herself waking up from repeating nightmares of the mud boy's weak and strangled voice screaming for the numbers to go away, along with the recurring vision of him in the Arctic about to be blown up by the rogue probe. This truly disturbed Holly's nights and she frowned counting the days she hadn't slept at all. Well at the very least that idiot mud boy has been actually sleeping after his release from the clinic, Holly thought apprehensively.

Shaking her head to ward off dark thoughts, Holly scrunched her eyebrows together and clapped her face rather harder than necessary and jumped out of bed, doing a few stretches to loose some stiff muscles and went about her usual routine. Before going out for work, she noticed something in the edge of her vision and distractedly looked for the source of the unknown feeling of nostalgia. Right there in the corner of her room, a picture sat on the unused table lamp collecting dust and Holly found herself staring wistfully at Mulch, Foaly, Butler, Artemis and her. It was their first picture together and was taken when the mud boy was finally cleared out of Atlantis Complex; she smiled wryly and took a tentative sigh as she whispered to the picture. "Stupid mud boy", then turned on her heels spinning out of the room and closing the door to her lonely apartment, never once looking back.

_Police Plaza, LEP Headquarters_

A typical day for the LEP is one that is the endless buzzing of officers, secretaries and convicts, along with the all too familiar bellowing of the LEP commander, Trouble Kelp. The Commander is visibly having an inner turmoil and has been on his communicator since the opening of the day and already disappeared from view, attending some sort of meeting with the elders. Foaly, the head technician and also holding the record for Haven's most paranoid fairy is uncharacteristically out of his own safe haven; the Ops Booth dubbed 'the paranoid centaur's prison' by most LEP jocks and undoubtedly one Major with the name of Holly Short. The said Major came bounding in through the entrance doors of Police Plaza, slipping away the bustling crowd and hurried towards an unoccupied lift. She broke into a short run but Foaly's blurry figure stopped her in her tracks looking very confused and gaped at him like he had grown two heads instead of the occasional single appendage. She arched an eyebrow at him and proceeded walking slowly back to where her centaur friend was currently eyeing her in dismay and snorted when the Major came close in earshot.

"Well this isn't your typical run-on-the-mill kind of day, is it?" Holly chirped nervously and glanced at the technician's retreating form. That was helpful; she thought in annoyance and followed her friend curiously, sensing a strange tingle on the tips of her pointed ears that could only mean trouble, danger or mightily worse, both.

Holly still followed closely behind Foaly in silence contemplating the few minutes she saw the centaur's face and tried deducing how bad the situation is. From her point of view, Foaly out of his Ops Booth could only mean one thing and one thing only: the end of Haven. This happy thought only made Holly's stomach drop and clench her sweaty palms. As they rounded a corner towards the Operations Booth, the centaur permitted both Holly and himself in, only to witness another unnerving sight that made the Major's already tingling ears tingle even more, if that was even possible. The room greeted them inside with an uncomfortable silence followed by nervous and concentrated gazes of Commander Kelp and all the high ranking members of the council with some Majors and Captains of the LEP.

The Commander ushered them both to their seats, paced towards a computer and tapped some keys in to play a holographic video of a white room. No, a prison cell, Holly thought not liking the idea of another run in with a Koboi wannabe. The video started playing before anyone could say 'D'arvit' and back out of the room, it was showing a figure anyone would recognize, a slightly taller female than the average fairy one with rounded ears and dark hair smiling maniacally, was Opal Koboi.

Holly's brain slowly processed the video and only realized who the person was until she had a good look at what happened next that could only be etched in her head on a loop. Suddenly, Opal looked at the camera and smiled a devilishly all too familiar smile that made all the fairies inside the room shiver involuntarily. Then she disappeared. Holly almost fell down her chair with the sudden witness of the most dangerous fairy escape inside her cell without even lifting a finger. Her mind reeled with the realization that her earlier thought of Haven's end wasn't as farfetched as the exact truth. The human pixie has vanished in thin air. Opal Koboi has escaped! Holly couldn't believe what her brain was telling her and almost fell for her earlier attempt of denial until one person said all of the room's occupants only thoughts were.

"We found this particular video last night and was only able to retrieve it before an explosion destroyed the prison cell the convict was put in," Trouble Kelp announced in hushed tones, "I'm afraid to say that this is not a joke nor a glitch in the security system". He fidgeted with the keyboard keys and tapped out the video, turning to face everyone inside the room. Holly felt a scream was about to tear her throat.

The Commander looked tired and beaten, finishing his announcement, "Opal Koboi has escaped."

Then all hell broke lose.

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><p><strong>R &amp; R pretty please! *puppy eyes* hope you liked it :D<strong>


	3. A Foul State

**HELLO! this is a Halloween Special UPDATE! You're all welcome :P I updated this in a hurry, I didn't even realize Halloween was already smothering me in the face when I finished this chapter. It's angsty really... physically. PLEASE R&R**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own what Colfer already owns but i own the headaches and physical pain Artemis keeps going through the story. (I'm sorry please don't sue me Master Fowl)**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Unknown Location, Current Time<em>

Inky blackness enveloped the spot where Artemis is currently in, or vaguely, where he is not. He couldn't feel his body much less move it to his will nor speak, it felt like being a disembodied presence inside one's own subconscious but conscious nonetheless. Artemis tried fruitlessly to remember how he got into this precise circumstance and settled with analyzing the probabilities of 'getting out' without losing his way, wherever he was. Curious, he mused.

"Timmy, we should call the doctor. Arty's still not waking up!"

The genius swore he would've jumped in surprise right then and there if not for being stuck in one's unconscious head, which he realized why nothing was visible or that he couldn't make heads nor tails while in the current situation; a most unlikely normal occurrence for him. It looked like his perception was still functioning and so he concentrated as hard as he could to discern the batter of worried voices that circled the location of his physical body.

"-getting worse…" muttered a strained voice that joined the other voices in outburst.

"It's been hours after what happened, he should've woken up by now. I think-"a rather high pitched tone rang in Artemis' head but was cut off by a man.

"Juliet get me my coat and Butler, come with me to get the doctor."

A few grunted replies and the two voices that belonged to the men inside the hypothetical room vanished, leaving Artemis on edge the whole time. He supposed the voices were of his family but nothing was clear through the void and his subconscious was telling him to wake up if he doesn't want to be stuck in a coma or probably as a genius vegetable for the rest of his uncanny short life. A prodigy such as Artemis Fowl barely found himself in situations where his intellect has to hurdle obstacles against his own mind, even the Atlantis Complex he had suffered from was not as unpredictable as his subconscious grey matter. But in this case the mind is no little trick when the body is included, notably for Artemis' weak muscle coordination; a truly challenging task for the genius. He willed himself to concentrate further and searched in his head where his consciousness might be, desperately mentally clawing the dark recesses of his brain. Finally, he found something that suspiciously looked a lot like a filthy pungent dwarf. Dwarf. Diggums? Mulch! Artemis' brain fluctuated with packets of information and slowly the memories seeped in like a wet sponge, ghost images of events filling the hollow darkness that surrounded his metaphysical form. While the brain gradually took in information, it caused a brief rush of adrenaline due to frenzied signals, making the brain active enough to jumpstart his system and acting up as a harsh physical wake up call.

_Fowl Manor, Three Hours Ago_

"Oh, do be quiet." Myles and Beckett Fowl's older brother groaned softly. Beckett pouted while Myles only persisted on trying to separate Artemis from his table where he currently lay slumped in his office chair. He was closing his eyes and appeared to be resting.

"But Arty, it's already playtime today…" whined the older twin and looked up helplessly at the younger twin.

Myles only looked pointedly at him and approached the unmoving figure of their brother. He tugged urgently at the cuffs of his wrists but received no answer, he looked worriedly at Beckett. "Simple-toon doesn't look good, should we tell Butler?" The older twin nodded fervently and with his other brother in tow, looked frantically for the manservant.

Artemis was in fact experiencing a slight feeling of vertigo and so his earlier attempt to review economical business proposals was rudely cut off by a sudden wave of nausea. His lungs was somewhat constricting and he struggled to make his breathing even and regular, Artemis' brows furrowed at this abnormality. He gently massaged his temples after the twins disappeared from his office and since the genius was not accustomed to being helpless,gently propped up on his elbows attempting to avoid swaying while he stood up. Artemis blearily looked up from his dazed state and staggered towards the exposed door of his private study.

"Butler! Butler!" Myles and Beckett yelled at the top of their lungs while searching every nook and cranny for the giant Eurasian. They bolted down on the wooden staircase of Fowl Manor eliciting confused glances by on looking nannies and visitors. As per usual, Domovoi Butler was out in the Manor grounds making sure the Fowl security system was updated and no suspicious looking strangers wandered through the Manor's gates: fairy strangers included. As Butler was about to attempt a final sweep, the twins came rushing towards his hulking figure looking very worried with big panicky eyes. Before the bodyguard could fire a single question, Myles and Beckett proceeded to blabber hastily and both grabbed a digit of Butler's hands, propelling him inside the Manor as much as they could for two four year olds. As much as the actions of the twins left him almost dumbfounded, Madam Ko's training kicked in and his soldier sense started throbbing. Something was wrong, very wrong and Artemis was possibly the root of it. He wasted no time, hoisting the twins up the floor and tucking them close to his body while taking long huge strides to Artemis' study. They gave a little surprised yelp and the manservant chose to ask them about their recent actions. "Myles, Beckett. Tell me what's wrong, what's happened to Artemis?"

Beckett chose to speak up first and his lip quivered while replying, "Arty simple-toon was looking sick" Hick. "He was closing his eyes and didn't answer us." Myles rolled his eyes at his brother but his nervousness was evident.

"I see, don't worry twins… I'm sure your brother's just tired, that's all" Butler soothed them but even he doubted his words and wished they were true.

After finally going up the long flight of stairs, the three almost bumped at the cause of Myles and Beckett's outburst, there leaning heavily on the door to his room was Artemis Fowl II. He was looking much paler than his usual bleached skin, his piercing mismatched eyes were slightly red rimmed and there was no mistaking the visible discomfort he was in. Artemis noticed the frantic looks that were given at his way and struggled to keep his face impassive while attempting to greet Butler and the twins as if nothing was obviously wrong.

"B-Butler I s-see you found the-the twins." D'arvit, to stutter such as a time like this, the pale boy thought in disgust. Obviously, he was far from well. He stared at Butler only to find his manservant looking grim. I did try, he added thoughtfully.

The Eurasian softly let the twins down and walked towards Artemis, checking his physical condition while doing so. "Don't try to act like it's nothing Artemis, tell me what's wrong and I'll get a doctor to look at you."

"No need Butler, I c-can handle this m-myself"

Butler inwardly rolled his eyes at his principal's vain attempt to hide it. "Then at least let me look at you myself so I'll be satisfied if it's nothing as you say it is." He stared skeptically at the boy and put a hand out to touch his forehead. Artemis slapped his hand away and glared at him coldly, though not the usual one he normally gives.

"I'm officially eighteen B-Butler, and therefore an adult. I do not n-need pampering and useless misgivings about my h-health" He scoffed even through his labored breathing, annoyed at his bodyguard's motherly actions and distractedly wiped a sweat forming on his brow. Butler, already used to Artemis' usual teenage theatrics ignored his last statement and commented patronizingly at his young charge.

"You may be an adult in this time but your body is still of a fifteen year old, Artemis. Your brothers are quite concerned on your current situation and they would like you to rest, don't they?" he glanced at the twins and nodded for them to speak up.

"Erm, yes… Arty, please go see a doctor too!" sniffed Beckett. This made Artemis falter a bit and stared at them. Myles only stared back and seemed to have an internal conversation with his older brother that eventually made Artemis nod in defeat. "W-well if you three insist I do so, then I don't have much of a choice. Don't cry Beckett a-and please accept m-my apologies Myles."

The manservant sighed in relief and was about to see his principal off to his room when Artemis suddenly cried out in pain and clutched his chest, doubling over the plush carpet that covered the floors of the hallway. He sprinted to Artemis like a panther and was there at his side in a blink, trying to check his pulse that was racing very quickly. The boy arched his back once more, making his whole body out of balance and fell in a trembling heap at Butler's feet. The twins were now yelling at their parents, tears streaming down their terrified faces as Juliet bounded the stairs three steps at a time only to catch a scene of Artemis convulse severely, his bones making sick cracking noises and limbs quiver out of control. It felt such a long time before his convulsion dissipated making the whole Fowl household watch helplessly as their eldest son have a seizure in front of the whole family. Artemis' eyes rolled back in their sockets but his body kept twitching uncontrollably, making Myles and Beckett more horrified and clutched both of their parents to wipe away the sickening image. Then finally, the genius lay still in Butler's arms breathing shallowly and most likely unconscious. He didn't show any emotion whatsoever after the whole ordeal and went about Artemis' quarters to put him in the bed. He left the room for Juliet to take watch and closed the door without a sound.

Angeline Fowl took Butler in a quiet corner and whispered conversationally at him. "This doesn't look like the work of fairies to me, Butler. It almost seems like the time when he was-" she was cut off by the manservant's grunted reply.

"When he was young."

She nodded gravely and looked all in the world but relieved at this sudden revelation. "I thought it was finally gone and no symptoms have surfaced ever since his last treatment." She broke into a sob and left to where her husband currently stared off in a trance as he comforted the twins and tucked them to bed. Butler's stoic act never faltered and took out the fairy communicator he removed from Artemis a while ago. Artemis needs help, Butler thought darkly.

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><p><strong>Whoa that was... I'm so sorry Artemis, I'm the type of writer that likes the main characters to suffer and everything, the kind between a sadist and a masochist? Er.. anyway, guilty pleasures aside, please review and enlighten me with what those pretty little brains of my readers would like to say about the story so far, eh?<strong>

**A/N: THANK YOU! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWED AND HAD FAITH IN ME TO AT LEAST CONTINUE THE STORY. i owe you one ;)**


	4. A Call From Above

**Hear ye, hear ye! here's the next chapter for you all! Don't worry, this wont be the only chapter for this week so it's kinda shorter than my Halloween update. I think I'll be updating twice or thrice a week, depending on my sched, that is. But ill do my best to come up with better plots and better convos. **

**DISCLAIMER: I'm a guy, yes but my name's not Eion Colfer and nor do I own Artemis Fowl for that matter. (I still own their lives here though fufufufu *_*)**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Operations Booth, (UTC) 6:53 P.M. <em>

"Hey, aren't you going to take that?"

Silence.

"Earth to Major Holly Short…"

Sound of tapping hooves.

"Frond and sweartoads! Lili Frond got pregnant!"

A subtle twitch.

The technical genius heaved a frustated whinny and exasperatedly threw his hands up, waving them infront at the elf in question. It had already been more than half an hour ago when the urgent meeting with the Council ended but Holly was still shell schocked and stupefied out of her wits. Foaly slowly counted to ten under his breath and grabbed an abandoned carrot in the corner of his food rack, munching nervously while darting his eyes back and fort at the buzzing communicator and at his elfin friend. The centaur had to admit, Holly had seen far better days and they were mostly all about going topside and chasing bull trolls at best. He eyeballed the look on the Major's face and readilly accepted that this day truly wasn't one of them and could only get a lot worse. A pity, he humourlessly thought.

Minutes ticked by and a very uncomfortable and awkward silence filled the room, much to Foaly's distaste. To witness the LEP's 'loose cannon' stand stock still like a statue is truly an unnerving image, especially when the said elf hasn't moved for over an hour tops. He shuddered before deciding to wake his friend from her happy little world, which the techie doubted was anything but crates of carrots and boxes of beetlejuice. Foaly inhaled and exhaled repeatedly before booming, "Snap out of it, Short!" while some centaur spit and carrot bits flew from his mouth, mercifully missing the elf by a couple of inches. Sadly, the extents of the earlier outburst only made the Major jerk and drop the still ringing device she was clutching on for dear life. He looked expectantly at Holly, only half surprised to see her completely out of it, ignoring the fallen contraption that started flashing an urgent angry shade of red. The centaur having noticed this, gingerly took it from where it lay on the plasma floor and checked curiously as to whom was calling in the middle of Holly's mental episode.

Frond help whoever's calling, she doesn't look like she's available at the moment, Foaly thought and at the same time stealing a concerned glance at the Major's form. The unmoving statue that is Holly, still looked wide eyed and the centaur couldn't suppress feeling crept out, giving an involuntary jitter and a lazy whip of his horse tail. He turned back his attention to the communicator and tapped the answer button, leveled the device to his ears and listened intently. Before the person on the other line could utter another word, Foaly blabbered before the centaur himself even thought about it.

"Butler! So good to hear from you big man. How's the mud boy doing? I bet he's up to no good, especially after wasting millions on that Ice Cube the other year. Actually, I have some ingenious ideas for a-"

He was crudely cut off by something the manservant had said and gasped, momentarily choking on his half-eaten carrot only pausing to hack up his lungs for air. He took huge gulps, briefly hyperventilated and yelled at the whisper sensitive com device. "Artemis is what?!"

"-Artemis."

The name resounded inside Holly's head, miraculously reviving the elf from her coma-like state. That sounded familiar, she thought.

"-Artemis."

There it was again. She could swear the name was echoing, echoing, echoing…

"Artemis!"

It sounded louder and clearer now and it was only a moment before the Major realized she was the one who blurted it. Whipping her head around so fast, the centaur winced at the sudden movement as he faced her. Holly moved swiftly without missing a beat, expertly snatching the communicator from his grip with a shaking hand. Before she spoke in the device, she glanced at her friend's distressed look and already felt dread gnaw at her insides. The elf always imagined what it was like to receive a call from the mud boy this days and she thought she'd be dancing on rainbows and giggling like a little schoolgirl; these were only for the times when they stopped saving the world, she supposed. Unmistakably so, this particular call only spoke volumes of foreboding.

"Holly…" Her heart sank. Of course it wasn't Artemis! How stupid are you to expect the mud boy on the other line? Holly fumed and bit her lip. She and Butler spoke on the communicator for a long time, after they were done; the Major struggled to compose her face. According to the mud man, Artemis was in a lot of pain before passing out. It was a bad thing that the genius was severely sick but with Opal on the loose? This day is getting better and better, the elf thought acidly. She voiced out her opinions to the technical genius.

"Considering how deranged that pixie is, I don't want to know what happens when she teams up with Past Opal." Foaly whinnied.

Holly bit on her nails rather nervously. "Exactly, plus Opal seems so bent on revenge. Is there a high probability she's going for Arty?"

A short tense silence then a loud groan from the centaur, "Definitely! How could we be so blind to not think about that? Alright it's settled, you should by all means go to Fowl Manor pronto and guard that sick mud boy while I present this to the commander. "

The Major considerably paled at this, her heart thumping so hard that it hurt. She was ushered by the same field kit and extra Neutrino 3000 blasters with shimmer suits. Foaly bid her a good luck and she was off running towards the next magma flare. She didn't have the choice to be late. At all.

_Tara, Two Hours Later_

She arrived at the shuttle port in only two hours. Two hours! Holly swore she would've gone deaf at Foaly's ceaseless berating on her helmet's earpiece, explaining and relieving the countless shuttle flight rules and flight records that the deceased Commander Root set himself. This only made the Major smirk ruefully and proceeded to maul the controls, breaking all known limits and coursing through the magma chute into Tara in no less than two hours. Thus, a new record was set on that day by a certain female officer of the LEPrecon.

Holly wasn't in the mood to be bothered by rules in the mean time for her human best friend needed her, bad. "I couldn't do without you." The elf thought back at what happened in that gorilla cage at Rathdown Park, she was too close at losing him and if only she was later than a second, he could've died. A same flashback appeared through her eyes, displaying the rogue probe and Artemis' stay at Argon's Clinic.

This is no time to have wonderful flashbacks, she thought sarcastically. The sooner I get to Fowl Manor, the better for Artemis.

"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts Holly, you're running low on juice. But if the mud boy needs some serious healing, go to the Tara hotspot first."

Foaly's voice crackled, making the elf jump then nodded, though the centaur couldn't see her and smiled warmly at her friend's advice.

"Thanks for the heads up, pony boy." Holly replied, dismounting from the shuttle and turned on her hummingbird wings, kicking down dust while zipping away in a speed that would make the fastest sprite faint.

The Major arrived where she and Artemis first met. She could still replay everything in her head in vivid motion, the feel of the fresh cold air on her pointy ears, the smell of the wet greens all around her, the texture of the ground and the all too familiar shape of an acorn clutched in her palm. That's when she heard a whizzing passed by her head; it was a good thing she ducked at that time. Holly could still remember the low timbres of Butler's voice resonating into the cold fresh night, along with the twelve year old Artemis' icy gaze that can give the nastiest trolls a shiver. The memory still gave her the Goosebumps. Holly inwardly sighed at the thought of Artemis and actually admitted to herself that she was fond of the mud boy, however smug and infuriating he can be. She was so glad that he changed for the better, excluding lying. Artemis lied whenever he sees it fit for the circumstance to present itself, one instance was when they went back in time trying to save the silky sifaka lemur from his younger form. She had forgiven him of course but the realization that the mud boy had lied to her when he could have asked for her help. She's certain that she'd help Angeline. Is she? Holly chewed her bottom lip. Maybe Artemis was right; he always is, besides it was in the past and she could erase it from her other 'fond' memories with the mud boy. But then there was that issue with Orion… could it possibly be true? What Orion said? But if it was, then… Maybe, just maybe-

"No, no! I've been dazing since that D'arvitting meeting and I can't D'arvitting afford to daze off while the mud boy's D'arvitting sick!" She scolded herself and looked around the tree for an acorn to bury. The Major snatched the nearest one she could find and planted it to the earth, reciting the ritual and once again wasted no time to fly to a certain mud boy. "It's going to take too long before I get there" she muttered worriedly and went on ahead breaking speed limits. Thousands of miles below ground, a centaur grimaces.

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><p><strong>Weeell what do you guys think? more? yeah, im getting to that but don't expect anything spectacular cause I'm a bit rusty at this whole writing thing and English isn't my native language so please please please be easy on me ;)<strong>

**A/N: THANK YOU REVIEWERS! i need moooaaar.. a lot MOAR **


	5. A Restless Night

**Hey hey hey, it's another chap for all you guys who said this story is good (AMAZING) I got glasses because of writing this story so you all better R&R and Fav&Follow me too :P By the way, thanks to all my reviewers, you're all awesome, i love you guys so much, my ego's as big as Artemis' right now, Et cetera Et cetera. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Artemis Fowl. Happy? **

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Koboi Laboratories, Private Office<em>

Opal Koboi awoke in a makeshift bed that was made of old lab coats and crumpled newspapers along with her partially burnt prison clothes, the soft hum of computers in the background was the only thing that made her feel somewhat relaxed for an unknown reason. Though she was still feeling disoriented and nauseous, Opal pried her eyes open and immediately regretted it as the searing lights overhead burned her sensitive pixie eyes. She let out a low growl and a long string of curses followed by a hard thud to the floor.

"Good, you're awake, Opal..." purred a female voice. "Sister."

The human pixie was confused. Sister? She had no sister, not to her knowledge anyway. Who knows what various things have happened after she turned her back on her family a few decades ago. She was contemplating the possibilities of a younger Koboi sister as the fairy inside the room scrutinized her laying form.

She has no idea what happened after she woke up, has she? Past Opal slowly shook her head dismayed at her future self, thinking how unfortunate the events after that Fowl character found out about the People. Certainly, this cannot be her, the infamous Opal Koboi whose inventions had surpassed most of the LEP's technical consultant, Foaly's technology. The creature under her penetrating gaze looked like an overgrown pixie with rounded ears. Opal Koboi turned herself into a human! Oh, the horror, she thought, slightly disgusted at the sight of her human form. To even think she would be that desperate to exact a pointless revenge and lose everything above all, she didn't know who to blame: herself, Future Opal, Cudgeon or Fowl! The pixie beforehand had submerged on researching about everything that happened ever since the Mud whelp robbed them of their fairy gold, she had to admit the boy has a spark of intelligence but it was not somewhere near as brilliant as hers. However, she could never forget one particular venture that her future self concocted, namely planning to reveal the entire fairy civilization to the Mud Men. As she read that particular article, her blood boiled and she couldn't contain a mad shriek of frustration when Artemis Fowl thwarted her yet again, taking advantage and using her biggest strengths and deepest weaknesses against her: chocolate truffles. She could imagine biting his head off even after she finished reading and had contained herself. For once, she understood Future Opal's seething obsession towards the genius Mud boy.

"Where am I?" muttered Future Opal, shaking the pixie out of her wandering thoughts and bringing her curtly at the current matter.

Her face flickered with a frown and before the human pixie could take notice of it, Past Opal broke into a fake smile. "Now, now sister… I trust you must know who I am by now, surely Opal Koboi is not that mentally derailed already. You did compose this plan, did you not?"

The human pixie didn't miss the irritation behind those words and hastily looked up at the speaker. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as she laid them to an undoubtedly familiar looking fairy, her past self. She was utterly confused now than ever, Opal rubbed her temples to ease the growing headache and slowly picked herself up to a sitting position while facing her other self. How very confusing, she pondered.

"You seem to misplace some recent memories, I gather?" The pixie rolled her eyes and pouted. "How unfortunate, we had a good plan going and it looks like we have to compromise. The explosion was subtly faulty so I suppose you weren't flawlessly unscathed then." She sighed. "Truly vexing…" Past Opal added, scraping her nails on the hover boy she was sitting on.

Human Opal however was still perplexed. The last thing she remembered was her eavesdropping on the cell guards at Atlantis. So she must have made a plan and somehow contacted her past self then broke out of the highly guarded prison, cliched but ingenious nonetheless. Now, they have the slight problem with her misplaced memories. Can't be too hard, she thought sourly. Whatever plot she had made was no doubt something of a wonder but not entirely out of the box. She could only think of one thing ever since that Fowl showed up and she'd been contained in Atlantis; revenge. And pain, a very, very large amount of excruciating mental and physical pain. Opal relished just imagining it, how would it even feel when she would be the one exacting it on the Mud whelp? She giggled maniacally at herself. Past Opal arched a delicate brow at this. Once an Opal Koboi is always an Opal Koboi, deranged amnesiac or not.

"Sister, I must say that my missing memories are no conflict with the plan. My one goal still stands and I know it is no extreme feat, especially for the both of us to achieve it." The human pixie drawled smoothly, displaying a grace the pixie had never witnessed during their conversation.

Past Opal curled the ends of her lips upward, looking menacing and cat-like. "Well said sister, well said…"

_Artemis' Bedroom, Fowl Manor_

Juliet Butler was working on wiping off the slowly gathering beads of sweat on Artemis' forehead, looking squeamish and anxious at the same time when the window nearest to the bed flew open, allowing a cold gust of wind to enter the room. The slight haze in the air was not undetected by the younger Butler's trained eyes. She didn't know who to expect, an enemy of the Fowl heir or a friend. Juliet chose to act on instincts: offense first, defense later as she slowly crept her hands to a concealed semi-automatic pistol she always wore on her person, pretending to have not seen the shimmer. The girl waited for a moment before clicking the safety off and directed the gun right at the concealed fairy's face, earning a sharp gasp from its spot. The fairy didn't unshield nor did it say anything, making Juliet's agitated hand rub on the trigger guard.

"I think… you should put that firearm away… before you startle our guest, Juliet."

"Shut up Arty, if you know what's good for you then just-" The younger Butler's eyes widened, only comprehending whose voice had spoken. Her mouth hung agape and was stunned to see Artemis already sitting up and leaning heavily on the bed post. She didn't even hear him move a muscle, much less wake up.

Holly thought this was her cue and unshielded, wearing a sheepish grin on her cherubic face and looking apologetic at the same time at Juliet's way. "Sorry about that Jules, I couldn't just materialize out of thin air with a barrel of a human gun resting between my eyes." She shifted her attention to the Mud boy's form and tentatively took small steps to his side. Juliet only looked dumbly and tried to form words that never came.

"M-Major, it's considerate of you... to-to drop by…" Artemis said between short gasps of breath, looking even paler than Holly imagined he would be.

"D'arvit Mud boy, you look like a pack of trolls trampled you over- and I thought you looked way better at Artemis' Temple." She chuckled softly, afraid to make her friend's condition worse than it is. She glanced back to where Juliet was and caught her sizing up Artemis' condition. She looked at the pale boy on the bed and decided to call Angeline Fowl downstairs. Juliet briefly nodded at the Major, silently instructing the elf to look after the genius. In turn, Holly nodded and smiled slightly.

Artemis watched this in clear annoyance. They don't have the need to treat him like a lowly patient who can't fend off for himself when the trouble of getting to the bathroom arises. Not that he didn't know it wasn't about sanitation they were fussing about, but he couldn't help thinking a bit pubescent at the present situation. How uncouth for a Fowl, he cringed inwardly. The elf was about to say something when his breathing became painfully irregular once again, his right hand making its way on top of his chest while the other kept grasping on the ocean blue sheets. His vision started darkening on the edges before an electric feeling warmed his body and blue sparks danced from Holly's fingertips. The Mud boy sighed in relief as the struggle to breathe was dissipating quickly. She lifted her head and stared worriedly at Artemis.

"That was much appreciated." The genius offered a weak smile at the elf.

Holly didn't bother replying and gingerly lifted her hand to Artemis' temples. "You're cold Arty…" she scrunched her brows together displaying a look no one would mistake than apparent concern. Artemis snorted at this.

"No remotely discernible pun intended?" He lamely added looking quite delighted to still have his poor humor- to Holly's point of view.

The Major couldn't suppress a scoff at the sick Mud boy, her mismatched eyes looking ablaze in the dark lighting. She pinched the bridge of her nose, quite disbelieving the genius' behavior. "Quit trying to lift the mood, genius. Besides, you already lost me at 'remotely discernible' and this is not the time to make lame jokes when you're practically at your death bed-"

"I assure you Holly that I am not dying anytime soon." Artemis starkly pointed out and cutting off the Major in mid-rant.

She gave him a deadly glare before continuing, "-and in danger of getting sabotaged by a certain pixie… Err, pixies. "

"And the LEP's quite certain those megalomaniacs are contiguous to exploit revenge-"

"-on you, yes Artemis. Actually, it's quite a wonder why on or under earth would anyone want vengeance against you?" Holly asked skeptically, faking a shocked look. "Now, now don't look at me like that Mud boy, you know these fists can pack one heck of a punch, don't you?" She smirked dryly and hefting up a closed fist in front of Artemis' scowling face.

"That was a very enlightening fact." He replied, sarcasm coating every word. "But going on to business, when did exactly Opal broke out of Atlantis?" Despite his earlier complication of going into comatose, Artemis couldn't resist the urge to delve into planning where his intellect is needed and can just ignore whatever ailment is disturbing him. He had some previous theories as to what is exactly wrong with him but there were too many possibilities of what it could be. The genius never really wanted to know what weakness he has that lies ahead so he was going to keep himself distracted for the time being.

The elf sat straightly and mulled over the Mud boy's faraway look. She was contemplating whether she should answer the question instantly or wait for the genius' eyes to refocus. Before she could decide, the door to Artemis' room swung open and a group of men came in looking harried with medical apparatuses in tow. In a split-second, the Major was out of the visible spectrum before anybody in the room, aside from Artemis noticed her presence. The group of men was actually the Mud boy's father, Artemis Fowl Senior and his bodyguard Domovoi Butler, with an old man wearing thick glasses and a white coat; which anyone could guess was the doctor.

Butler's uncanny sight caught the pale boy's sitting form and was immediately there with the doctor at his side. Juliet and Angeline came in while Artemis Sr. looked on wearily but relieved to see his son now awake. Artemis only pasted on a look of discomfort as he imagined himself like a specimen under a microscope. He looked past his bodyguard and steadied his gaze on the friendly-looking doctor with his other friendly-looking equipment. He frowned.

"How are you feeling, Artemis?" The giant Eurasian's rumble diverted the boy's attention to him. He was clearly looking more like his real age and Artemis was feeling slightly guilty at this. He glanced at his parents and at Juliet who were standing a good distance from the scene looking very worried and unnerved. This did not help his conscience and concerned himself to replying his manservant.

"I feel better, Butler. Absolutely fine that I don't need a doctor anymore, thank you. " He looked pointedly at the doctor and at Butler.

"I doubt that's alright Artemis, the last time you said that, you collapsed and was unconscious for hours…" Butler lifted a brow as if asking the genius to try and challenge his resolve. Artemis sighed, someone remind me who is taking orders from whom.

The doctor was looking unfazed by this exchange and to Artemis' surprise; he almost looked fond at him. Before voicing his suspicions about the doctor, the old man spoke. "Why, it's been a few years haven't it Master Fowl? Do you still recognize me?" Unbidden, the pale boy nodded.

Dr. Winston S. Fitzpatrick, Artemis thought. He was his doctor since his mother gave birth to him, which Angeline supplied of course. He never saw him after a treatment he couldn't quite place when he was merely two years of age. Why he was here now and what might be the connection of his childhood was immediately realized by the genius. It could only be a relapse of what he had and this time however was worse, he was sure of it.

The doctor smiled warmly at him. "What a young lad you've become, Artemis. Now if you don't mind my unwelcome equipment, I must ask for your permission to use it." Out of the corner of his eye, Artemis could decipher the shape of the doctor's machines while some electrical wires connected to suction cups peaked out.

An Electrocardiogram with an efficient Echocardiogram to boot. Artemis Fowl the Second has a heart disease. The genius almost laughed. Almost.

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><p><strong>Um<strong>**.. yeah so Master Fowl has a *gasp* super-normal-quite-disappointing-human heart disease. Oh the unspeakable horror! Artemis Fowl II and normal does not blend well in one sentence but it's more sinister than it sounds so i better hop to it and concoct an unbelievable and extraordinary mind-blowing alibi as to why magic can't heal it... (OOPS!) .HA. *laughs nervously* I better run, Ciao.**


	6. A Work of Plans

**Phew, here's the next chapter! It's actually like a menacing filler chapter or something (Pfft) I had a brief writer's block or maybe it's just the stress at school. (I'm in the University, at 16 for Pete's sake! gimme a break? xD) Buuut I know it's not an enough excuse to write an aimless and kind of shorter chapter for the first update of this week. My ideas are still unclear and the facts are jumbled so i hope you could 'enlighten' me with your ideas, eh? Help a guy out here..? Anyway, thanks to all my *10* reviewers (a multiple of 5, man that's a lot of good luck for me) you guys are my angels, please keep on playing those angelic trumpets, okay? **

**P.S. please excuse my unnecessary metaphors but it's incredible to know some of you out there really like this premature little imagination of a story i have... *hick* I'm getting emotional, best get on with the story. (*bawls my eyes out*)**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm gonna ask dear Santa Colfer for the rights this Christmas but for now, they're all his.**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>LEP Headquarters, Underground City of Haven<em>

Then all hell broke lose.

It was the first thing Commander Trouble Kelp took notice of when the clip of Koboi's escape had ended, and a dead silence filled the cramped room. The stillness was only for a moment though, the said Commander was dreading the inevitable crisis at hand but there he was at the very center of it. He had enough time to gather his wits before the silence disappeared. Trouble could almost feel the padded titanium walls vibrate and countless of Foaly's monitors shift a little as bullets of uproars and questions fired straight at him.

He was tempted to raise his hands above his head but it struck him that it was something only a convict would do. He didn't move an inch, afraid to let his reflexes take over and his title as the LEP's Commander get mocked at by the Council. The elf spoke as loudly as he could in the throng of angry and panicked voices.

"Since Koboi's break-out was reported in by the Atlantis division, technical consultant Foaly and his men have been tracking her whereabouts..."

The commotion started to die down as he continued to explain. "Apparently, the prisoner's seeker-sleeper was removed but not before releasing sedatives into her system and activating the seeker. The last transmission of the signal was above-ground, coordinates of the location pointing over the North Atlantic Ocean. We believe that her past twin is the accomplice, I suggest taking extreme precaution and Haven to be in lock-down for the next twenty-four hours."

"A lock-down, Commander?!" cried a delirious Chairman Cahartez. "Do you know how costly those lock-downs have been in the past?"

Foaly couldn't suppress a sneer and a whinny at the Chairman. He glanced at Trouble to read his reaction and could tell that the he was about to pop an artery on his head, which was pulsing quite dangerously.

"If you would excuse my barging in on your conversation Chairman," the centaur continued to talk and ignored the look of protest coming from Cahartez, " but Opal Koboi is an insane pixie and there are two of her out there, who knows what plan to take over the world they're doing as of right now. In twenty-four hours, the LEP will be assembling squads of LEPrecon and LEPretrieval officers to search the pixies throughout the continent of Europe." He faced the Council members darkly and added, "The People might not be the only ones in jeopardy this time around. I hope you could carry that responsibility on your conscience, Chairman Cahartez."

All the Council members had grim expressions on their faces and even Cahartez was visibly disturbed by the technical genius' declaration. They nodded at each other and reached a unanimous vote.

"The Council has complied with your wishes, Commander Kelp. You have our permission to apply all necessary operations to acquire the charged felon, Opal Koboi."

And with those parting words still lingering inside Trouble Kelp's mind space, the flashback blurred like the remnants of an old movie, rapidly fading into the bristling sharpness of reality. He sighed, hands cradling his head and tried to pull it together. But he was still stuck in the Commander's office, sorting out loose ends and barking orders to officers to move their behinds, threatened to become a fairy-kebab on the next magma flair.

It didn't help that Holly Short; the recently appointed Major of the LEP was out in the open territory of the enemy. Apart from Koboi, Fowl is a slippery Mud boy even if he had lent a hand in saving the People but humans can still never be trusted, Trouble thought. The Major could possibly be in danger and he needed her presence to assess the groups of fairies tracking Koboi. He couldn't help himself relieving memories of the worst three dates he ever had in his life while lightly shuddering. He brought back his attention at the task at hand and mulled over what Foaly had reported in.

According to the centaur, they received a call from above-ground a few hours ago, and Butler, Artemis' loyal bodyguard was the one who contacted Holly using the genius' communicator. Trouble heard the Mud boy was sick and according to Foaly's jibbering, Opal has a very high possibility of seeking revenge on him. The technical genius also suggested having a squad of heavily armed fairies to stand guard at Fowl Manor. No doubt, he would have alerted Holly about it and the Irish boy could very well be thinking up of a plan by now. The Commander didn't give a D'arvitting care if the criminal mastermind was feeling out of sorts, but if their target would be aiming for Fowl, then the human could help them and he'd be hitting two birds with one stone. He smirked. It looks like Fowl's bad luck was finally catching up on him.

_Koboi Laboratories, Present Day_

"Phase one of the plan is complete, sister. Those LEP blockheads trapped themselves into our wild goose chase."

Future Opal lay cat-like in another hover-boy, snapping one eye open and regarded her twin with a bewitching smirk. She nodded her head slowly as if the news was nothing of great surprise to her, which it perhaps was not.

"But not entirely a wild goose chase, mind you." She corrected.

"Of course, shall we move on to Phase two?"

This was more of a statement than a question. Past Opal reached for a button on her own hover-boy and pressed it. The enormous plasma screen that made most of the widest wall in the vicinity, flashed brightly and a link started connecting the Koboi sisters to the gloomy faces of two very familiar pixie twins: Merval and Descant Brill. They were both fidgeting and nervously stealing glances at the two Opals, who were in turn observing them in an eerily interested looking way. Both of them shuddered and glanced down at their feet.

"Mistress Koboi," intoned Merval and Descant.

"I trust you are capable enough to access what I require of you two? The pixie's eyes turned into dangerous slits and carefully watched the Brill brothers' reactions. Their Adam's apples nervously bobbed up and down.

"Yes, Mistress. They will be too preoccupied when the time comes" replied Descant.

The twins waited helplessly as the two Kobois scrutinized their forms. Future Opal spoke up.

"Very well, but if anything goes wrong, the modified seeker-sleeper on your arms might activate. "

Merval and Descant were now sweating bullets. They knew what happened after those modified 'seeker-sleepers' would do to them. It certainly wasn't as simple as getting knocked out unconscious.

Their fear of death was intoxicating, Opal thought. But the fear showing on the twins' eyes were of her, of Opal Koboi. She was addicted to it, even to the point of obsession. The human pixie couldn't wait to get her hands on Artemis Fowl and make him suffer until he begs for death; a mercy the great Opal Koboi will never give the genius. She licked her lips and chirped sweetly at the two pixies in front of them.

"And get us some heavenly truffles while you're on it."

The Brill twins glanced confusedly at each other when the transmission blinked out, Past Opal with a smile on her beautiful face.

"We have to relocate soon, Sister, the LEP aren't all stupid to leave Koboi Laboratories undetected. We might have to reside somewhere…." She cringed, "uncomfortable for our standards."

The other twin nodded knowingly at this. "I have to say the plan is fool-proof, but there is always that instance where that pesky centaur is too paranoid, to let even this desolate building aside. A perfect hiding place is somewhere obvious and yet never been looked, which in our case is the Laboratories; truly brilliant."

"But still, we must move before they set foot above-ground" interjected Past Opal.

The human pixie did not give her past self a reply; instead, she went about her new plans to take revenge on the Mud boy. She giggled maniacally and felt her cheeks redden at the overflowing possibilities of torment. Her ruby red lips contrasted sharply with her dark flowing hair as she whispered breathlessly.

"Fowl, we're coming for you..."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry if today's update was a no-go but I'm trying to sort things out and hopefully write a kick-ass-mind blowing-incredible chapter for the end of this week! R&amp;R my lovelies...<strong>


	7. A Doctor's Diagnosis

**HA! Thought I wouldn't update, didn't you? Well, here's the last chap for this week. I did say I'd write a kick-ass update but i don't think it's kick-ass at all (boohoo) I'm sorry, I'm getting lame but I explained so many things, that makes up a lot for everything... Right? I know I'm stalling, but I gotta make up the important facts first. BTW, thank you my reviewers! i looove your positive comments and i hope you'd never give up on me, okay? Please review more and Fav&Follow this story! **

**DISCLAIMER: All rights go to the original author, blah blah blah. **

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Dublin, Ireland, (UTC) 11: 02 P.M.<em>

A curious soul would often guess what nightmares and wonders happened everyday, beyond the thick stone walls of the looming mansion, which was located on the outskirts of Dublin. A modern castle, if you call it, the Fowl Manor has a greater number of perturbed onlookers than admirers. Certainly, the Manor had always looked imposing even during daytime but during these late hours of dusk, it looked much more menacing and sinister.

What the people don't know about this certain dwelling, are the countless adventures of fairy-related escapades that were sworn in secrecy by Artemis Fowl the Second himself. Even without the complications of being the first human to discover the People, being part of the Fowl Family had its perks and downsides. One of these is the Fowl Empire's criminal reputation that amassed numerous enemies and fear. As such, no wandering individual would accidentally stumble into Fowl Manor's close proximity at this precise moment. Artemis Fowl would be so grateful to know that no stranger would be able to hear a thing from the estate, if not for the fact that he was currently caught in a fit of screams.

"Hold him down, sir! I need to administer a shot of medication," Dr. Fitzpatrick rummaged through his bags and held a rather painful-looking syringe.

Both the boy's father and his manservant took each of his shoulder and shoved him down to his bed. Juliet went down to the twins' room as ordered by Angeline, while the said woman cradled her son's head and started whispering comforting words in vain.

Holly flinched. She didn't like seeing the genius in a very helpless state. The Mud Boy was clearly in a lot of pain but her training stopped her from doing anything rash, the Major couldn't just materialize during the struggle. She couldn't possibly mesmerize and heal Artemis at the same time, whatever heart disease the boy had, it was probably best to let the doctor handle it first. The elf felt hot tears spilling from her mismatched eyes when she realized that there was nothing else she could do, but stand and wait to watch her friend suffer. Her helmet's visual buzzed into life.

"Major, I'm dispatching groups of Recon and Retrieval officers on your-"

The technical consultant almost did a double-take when he briefly glanced at the screen and saw the female elf's tears. He didn't bother asking her what was wrong, especially when she didn't seem to hear or see him in the first place. The centaur accessed her helmet's visor and also watched helplessly as the scenes unfold.

Artemis screamed until his throat felt raw, his constricting lungs and the extreme pain on his chest made his control over his body immobile. He thrashed against the metal grips that held him down, his muscles twitched and he was covered in cold sweat. The genius willed to stay conscious, somehow sensing another attack was about to risk him into coma.

A few minutes ago, everything seemed perfectly normal. The doctor had some time to hook him on the devices and made small talk. His parents and Juliet relaxed a bit as he complied with the doctor's demands, Butler stood protectively over his charge as usual. The pale boy was eyeing Holly's shimmer when he suddenly felt his back and neck throb, followed by a mixture of nausea, short breathing, dizziness, and then came the pain. _I believe I have symptoms of what they call 'Angina', in medical terms_, he deduced before blocking all thoughts and proceeded to claw at his chest.

Foaly gaped, looking very horrified. No matter how annoying Artemis got, he still has a soft spot for the genius and he couldn't make himself watch any longer. The centaur turned his attention on the Major's trembling form.

"Holly Short, you better pull yourself together. The Mud Boy needs you and so does Haven, I suggest you to be absolutely professional and completely operational at all times, got it?"

"Affirmative…" Holly said, not looking at Foaly's image at all.

He cleared his throat, "As I was saying earlier, I'm going to dispatch two groups of Recon and Retrieval on your location. They'll be there under your watch in about four to five hours tops, and I'm sending in some LEP issued 'emergency protocol' gadgets." Foaly was silent for a moment. "File in a report every twelve hours and keep a stable link on my lock-down server. Do update me with Artemis' condition; I might be able to help with some things. That's all."

The diminutive elf offered her friend a smile, looking a lot like a grimace.

"Good luck, Holls. You'll need it."

Foaly's picture blinked out. The Major decided to take things professionally now; she can't afford to be emotional at a crisis like this one. Her first priority was ensuring Artemis' health and safety before delving in on the whole Opal Koboi ordeal. She looked at the genius' quivering form and was relieved as the doctor finally managed to give the boy a shot. Instantly, the Fowl heir relaxed his muscles, heaving and gasping like a fish out of water.

"Thank God!" Angeline sobbed into her son's shoulder, grasping at his dress shirt like a life line.

"It was a good thing I didn't forget this," said Dr. Fitzpatrick, showing the occupants in the room, a used syringe.

Artemis Senior nodded gratefully at him. He was also trembling while brushing Artemis' raven hair. The pale boy looked very exhausted, some overflowing tears streaked his face and he looked almost like the child he never was. Butler's face was dark and his lips in a tight line, but nevertheless, also quite relieved for the time being.

"Enlighten me… D-Doctor?" His charge rasped.

"I suppose I should."

The genius nodded weakly while his parents and faithful bodyguard looked on edge. They were visibly nervous to know what exactly Artemis' condition was. The doctor hesitated at first but a single glance from Artemis forced him to explain. Before saying anything else, he busied himself to check Artemis' pulse that was slowly going back to normal. The boy made no further movements after resting his head on Angeline's lap, and then waited patiently for Dr. Fitzpatrick to continue.

The doctor fingered the syringe while saying, "What I gave you earlier was a shot of Nitroglycerin. It's a vasodilator, one that opens blood vessels to improve blood flow and is commonly used for relieving chest pains, such as in your case my boy, Angina."

"Go on…"

"Well, according to my ECG and cardiac echo, my earlier assumptions were quite distinct. When you were very young, you were diagnosed with a congenital heart disease…"

Dr, Fitzpatrick shifted uncomfortably at this while Artemis' parents looked paler than normal. They worriedly glanced at their son's face, who was not betraying any emotion at the moment. Artemis nodded once.

"But he had taken surgery! How is this happening now?" The giant Eurasian blurted out.

Artemis' eyes considerably widened. "I… What?! I don't recall any surgery whatsoever. There's not even a single scar on my body."

_That would be because of countless healings, stupid Mud Boy_, Holly thought silently. _He must be really sick…_

The doctor looked pointedly at Angeline and Artemis Sr. They obviously did not attempt to share anything from their son's past treatment. He sighed. _Parents_.

"It seemed you were too young to remember, lad. And the surgery was only a shunt procedure to temporarily improve your condition; I doubt it would have left a scratch." The old doctor paused to let his words sink in. "You had a complication of 'Tetralogy of Fallot', a congenital heart disease that was made of four kinds of heart defects."

"Yes, I am aware of _Tetralogy of Fallot_." Artemis' voice was almost a whisper now.

To think he had this kind of ailment made him squirm inside. Four kinds of heart defects! He was amazed to know he lived long enough to plan criminal exploits and fairy adventures. He gulped slowly, and then recalled what he knew about this 'Tetralogy of Fallot'.

_A hole in the wall between the heart ventricles, which is called __a Ventricular Septal Defect, then a narrowed outlet to the pulmonary artery, usually combined with an abnormal pulmonary valve. An aorta that straddles the wall between the ventricles__, and the last, a __thickened and enlarged heart muscle tissue in the right ventricle._

_Exquisite, _the genius thought sarcastically.

"I regret your condition right now is a relapse of it, and possibly worsening. We couldn't perform a full operation on you since it was too much of a risk for an infant. But as of now, I believe you are fit to undergo the operation, Master Fowl," said Dr. Fitzpatrick, breaking the silence.

Artemis' parents looked uncertainly at each other. They weren't too comfortable at the idea of their son at the mercy of masked surgeons and a dose of sedatives. There was also the off-chance that the procedure would be a failure. It seemed like they have to let Artemis decide on this matter too.

The pale boy stiffly replied, "I see your point, Doctor, but I'll have to consider some things before I make a decision."

"Yes, yes, that is true. But for now, your case of Angina is not a simple matter. You see, Angina can deteriorate to different types, and my diagnosis says that you have-" The doctor was abruptly cut off by the genius.

"Unstable Angina, I believe."

"Err… Y-Yes, that's… right," he stuttered, only realizing that the boy in front of him is Europe's highest IQ holder.

Even in his state, Artemis couldn't suppress offering the good old doctor, his infamous vampire grin. Dr. Fitzpatrick shuddered, and then composed himself. He gave a small white pouch to the boy's manservant.

Clearing his throat, the doctor said, "Anyway, those are small doses of Nitroglycerin injections, preferably used for sudden Angina attacks. I've also prescribed you tablets, mouth sprays and skin patches of Nitrates for prevention. I suggest rest and further observation on your current state, Artemis."

"Thank you very much, Doctor," Angeline Fowl smiled appreciatively while still caressing her son's hair.

Artemis Sr. stood up and shook the old doctor's hand. "Butler and I will accompany you on the way back, then." He ushered Butler to make preparations and the giant hoisted the doctor's equipments on one arm.

"Well then, I shall take my leave, Master Fowl, Madam. "

After his father, Butler and Dr. Fitzpatrick left the Manor, Artemis stayed on his mother's lap for a long time before insisting to leave him for a moment. The worried mother didn't want to leave his side but the genius urged, until she finally left him be. He deeply breathe into the blue satin sheets, before glancing to Holly's sitting form beside him. One of the few things that Artemis Fowl resent is pity; pity that was clearly thrown at him. He didn't like the look the Major had on her face, so he didn't bother covering the frown on his'.

Holly was confused at this. "What's the matter, Artemis? Is something wrong?"

"Don't look at me with those eyes, Holly. You do not need to pity me," he replied coldly.

The elf was visibly annoyed with this exchange. She gritted her teeth. "It's not my fault if you don't know the difference between _concern_ and _pity_, Mud Boy."

"I am no concern of yours and nor am I the People's. So please act professional, Major Short."

He hated this side of himself; too much pride will probably be his downfall in the future. Artemis didn't want to say these things to his best friend, but neither did he want Holly to look at him with such a low regard. He was simply egotistical. The genius glanced at the elf's red tinged face.

"For a genius, you are surprisingly very stupid," she spat. "Don't bother asking me for help. Whether you choke on your sleep or look like your about to drop dead, either way, I won't care."

And with those words full of spite, Holly got off from the bed, strapped her wings and jetted out of Artemis' window. These are one of the rare moments that the genius would insult his intelligence.

"Fool…"

Down below the dark shadows of Fowl Manor, two pairs of dark eyes loomed directly beneath the open window. Both of their feline smile were visible in the moonlight, ruby red lips enunciating their similar dangerously beautiful features._  
><em>

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><p><strong>What do you think will happen next? Ooh the story's getting darker every update... Any of you wanna contribute to the story's plot? I could make up some things for you guys ;) Just review before Wednesdays and Saturdays or Sundays because those are the days i mostly update. R&amp;R my dears.<strong>


	8. An Assignment in Progress

**FROND AND STINK WORMS! I didn't update for 2 WHOLE WEEKS! i am so sorry readers, i got caught up with school and a MILD author's block T_T I promise to at least update once every week (boohoohoo) Anyway, im so grateful to my reviewers, i love you~ thank you for your comments! Well, um... I hope you dont hate me now, do you? I really wish this week's update is enough for you all _ again, i am so sorry please forgive me! **

**DISCLAIMER: Eion, I'll have a word with you about rights and laws after i declare that you own some rights of this book temporarily for now. Let's see each other in court. **

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Underground City of Haven, Hours before Lock-down<em>

"Whatever happens, stick to the plan," whispered Mervall Brill as he surveyed the LEP Headquarters from a considerable distance.

Descant nodded at this and saluted his twin brother, much to Merv's annoyance. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Officers and non-officers were scattered all around Police Plaza, some nervously rushing to buy a ticket home and board the available road shuttles. LEP squads of recon and retrieval jogged from the Headquarters, forming three straight lines with the Commander leading them. They abruptly stopped right at the center of Police Plaza and made a debriefing.

The Brill Brothers crept closer to the group, Scant attempting to tip toe his way behind his brother's back. The older twin noticed this and closed his eyes, irritated while he face palmed.

"This is not the time to be acting funny, you idiot. Mistress Koboi will have our heads."

That seemed to put the younger pixie in place and made no further distractions to his older brother. They inched their way inconspicuously toward a high-rise building that was facing the LEP Headquarters directly. Scant surveyed the area for possible entrances and exits while his older brother made preparations for the infiltration.

Mervall changed into the standard LEP uniform and handed his brother an identical pair. He also produced a device that looked like the metal bases of a headgear, encircling the user's head and face. Underneath the chrome metal casings, neon blue lights radiated from the zigzag crevices powered by electricity.

"Only turn on the holo-mask after we enter the building and whenever necessary. These things only run with Mud Man batteries, we can't over-use 'em got it, Scant?"

"I'm not stupid. Of course I got it, we've gone this over a thousand times…" whined the younger pixie and in return got a glare from the older twin.

The surrounding was mostly deserted, exactly like the atmosphere Haven city has procured before a Lock-down. The only visible and working lights in the vicinity were the LEP Headquarters' lower level floors, with shadows of the occasional officer roaming the building. The Brills waited until it was the allotted three hours before the said Lock-down. At this time, Haven's geothermal generators would be cut off to the general public and will be used to power the shields protecting the underground city. The twin pixies nodded at each other before running on the dimly lit sections of Police Plaza.

They halted just beneath a camera; however, their current position was detected by the sensors. This was surely of no consequence for they were quite prepared. Descant pressed a button on his left arm band and instantly, his appearance changed into the perfect replica of Corporal Lili Frond. Mervall snickered.

"Shut it, Merv. Not a word…" he gave his older brother a long poisonous look.

The pixie shrugged and smothered a grin. "It looks good."

Scant grumbled under his breath as Mervall turned on his holo-mask, and changed into Grub Kelp.

"Let's try not to crash on anybody- this is after all, a hologram."

"Aye, aye."

As the pixie twins hastily entered the building, they were greeted by an empty hall way. All officers must probably be on the upper floors and so they hurried further inside the Headquarters. The lights were steady before they reached the underground level, now; it flickered wildly as they descended to the LEP's Artillery storage room. Scant took a step back and glanced nervously at his brother. The space in front of them was covered in darkness. It ominously looked like the place was trying to swallow them whole.

Even Mervall gulped nervously. He flicked his arm band and leveled the stream of artificial light in front of them. "Come on, we don't have all day."

Descant felt his palms sweat and gingerly turned off his holo-mask. He reluctantly followed after Merv's disappearing form in front of a room with double titanium doors, labeled; 'LEP ARTILLERY: LEVEL U – CODE RED'.

"Do we still have to get those truffles?" he squeaked.

Outside Chute E1, Commander Trouble Kelp made sure the last team made it off, before the chute's gates would be closed to the public in an hour. His expression was dark as the doors closed with an automatic hiss. The city's shuttle port used to be bustling with passengers, but now, it was entirely empty. Trouble swore he could even hear his breathing. He scowled, realizing he had just wasted a few precious minutes wandering aimlessly_. Funny what a person does before imminent damnation smacks him on the backside. Frond, help us all. _

Back in the Ops Booth, the technical wiz scrambled for his ringing communicator, buried somewhere within the countless equipment stashed inside the room. While attempting to get up from his specialized centaur chair, Foaly lost balance and fell on his rump in an undignified heap. He groaned in pain and blushed, thinking about the embarrassment he'd have if there were any witnesses. If Holly was there, she'd be laughing her elfin head off and would never let the centaur forget about it. If Root was there, Frond rest his soul, he'd be choking on his fungus cigar and his face a mixture of purple and magenta. If the convict Diggums was there… the centaur didn't want to think about it.

The communicator rang shrilly, breaking him from his daydreams. He instantly got up and dug out the device from where it was flashing a cold blue.

"Foaly, do you read me?" echoed Trouble Kelp's gruff voice on the other line.

Foaly snorted none too subtly.

"Is that a trick question or a rhetorical one? Of course I can hear you loud and clear, Commander. I don't have to explain to you how brilliant my inventions are, do I? Honestly, no one appreciates a technical gen-"

"Any minute now centaur, or else whatever budget you have on those inventions is going down the drain," the Commander cut off.

The technical genius harrumphed indignantly. _LEP jocks and their simple minded nature_, he sulkily thought. Foaly spotted a half eaten carrot on one of his console panels and grabbed it, chewing noisily.

"So what is it, Trubs?" he nonchalantly asked, knowing that it'd rub on the Commander's nerves.

_Don't they all?_ He snickered inwardly and grinned.

On the other end, Trouble was having trouble (A/N: pun!) controlling his temper. The centaur always manages to hit a nerve like a stink-worm in a dwarf's belly. He sighed and massaged his aching temples; he'd probably be a candidate for retirement sooner than the elf thought. Oh, Joy.

"Listen pony boy, I am your Commander and I can still whip your behind without expecting any complaints. Do you want to have a life sentence as a non payable LEP technician?"

The centaur shivered at the thought. "Fine, what is it Commander?" he drawled the last word, eliciting a strained sigh from Trouble.

"I need you to make final mission orders to Captain Short. I'll forward my message on your link, the com devices will be out before I get to send it to her. Also, beep me if anything seems unusual, I'll be patrolling Haven before Lock-down."

"Yessir."

"Kelp, over and out."

Foaly rolled his eyes. Kelp's last orders were forwarded to his com link which he transferred on his private server. He was going through the last encrypted message and was about to send it, when his plasma screen distorted briefly. The technical wiz turned to his camera and sensor visuals. There seemed to be nothing at all that caused the glitch. He felt nervousness claw his stomach. _What if it's Opal?_

"Nonsense," he countered loudly. "She can't be here; the seeker-sleeper is flawless. I got her location before anything else."

Without warning, the entire building dimmed for a moment before lighting up again. _Ah, it must be the generators malfunctioning. The lock-down is due in an hour after all. _He sighed in relief, his paranoia subsiding.

"Help me set this thing up," called Mervall behind his back.

He produced a portable computer and connectors, handing them to his twin brother. Haven's LEP facility was no joke, even if all power was out, the Artillery Room ran on thorium plasma batteries that could last more than a human lifetime. They couldn't exactly wait that long outside the eerie darkness.

The double titanium doors loomed like giant tombstones over the brothers. Scant palmed the chrome wall for a protruding access panel in the dark. Clicking on a headlight, he disassembled the panel with nimble fingers. It showed complex patterns of blue, red and white wires connected to countless micro-ports and chips. In a swift motion, he pulled out a series of coordinated wires and plugged the portable computer's connectors to the ridden port.

"It's ready, Merv."

"Alright, be on standby. I'll be giving you the access codes simultaneously after making a direct feed on the network."

His younger brother nodded and Mervall tapped the computer expertly without missing a beat. Beads of sweat pooled on his forehead and under his eyes as he keyed in hacks, made by their mistress Past Opal Koboi for the mission. After an agonizing twenty minute struggle on the system, he finally breezed in through Foaly's guarded security network. In under thirty-five seconds, he found the pass codes for the Artillery room. Before erasing all his tracks on the system, he fed a decoy signal unto the technical genius' computer.

"Pass code is U-thirty-six-one-oh-eight-N-ninety-seventeen-D-five-oh-sixty-two."

Scant entered the codes and didn't waste any time to glance at his older twin brother. Seconds later, nothing happened and then a pneumatic hiss echoed in the still dim hallway. The younger pixie yanked the connectors off and replaced them with the original wires, fixing the access panel without much further ado. Good thing they wore enhanced polyester gloves, those things made by Koboi Industries never left a mark. They were absolutely not for sale either.

Hesitantly, the Brill Brothers passed through the Artillery doors, the lights automatically went on inside the room. The change in brightness made them squint at the numerous lethal and non lethal weapons of the LEP.

Merv and Scant whistled lowly at the same time. They grinned at each other.

"Mistress Koboi would be so delighted," murmured Scant as he roamed inside the room. "We have so many resources now; they can make new inventions with these things."

"I just hope we aren't volunteering as unwilling guinea pigs," replied Mervall lightly, though he wasn't smiling.

Out of the corner of his eye, the younger twin spotted the thing they were looking for. He beckoned his brother to come closer, and gingerly lifted the device on one of Opal's inventions; the InfiniBox. It was one of Koboi's most prized possessions, the InfiniBox, true to its name, could expand and compress into any size that allowed the things to be stored in it. Even a mass of one ton would only weigh a few pounds inside the box, breaking down the object's atoms once inside it.

After putting the device inside the InfiniBox, it disappeared to the naked eye. Mervall searched the room further for more useful devices to carry when he found himself staring at a secluded door inside the vast room. He didn't have to guess what was inside it when he saw the logo engraved on the door. He smirked. _Koboi Laboratories._

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><p><strong>GAAAH! so that was the end of this chapter~ i hope you still like it, my readers _ im gonna write more (AWESOME) chaps later so please please please Rate and Review and Fav and Follow! thaaaanks <strong>_  
><em>


	9. A Curtain before the Show

**HOLY MOLEY ROLLY POLLY! I've never updated for like, a millennium! i am so freaaakin sorry readers T_T a super storm just hit my place and all the electric cables got cut down so i just had electricity for the past 2 days this week! Uggh well, i wrote this in a hurry cause im a bit busy with class since its christmas vacation next week. (peeyay) i love you reviewers, may you like this update too! **

**DISCLAIMER: all rights go to Eion Colfer blah blah blah and I'm Artemis Fowl so PUT A SOCK ON IT!**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><strong>"ALERT"<strong>

**"ALERT"**

**"ALERT"**

The computer mainframe's electronic voice sounded like a death toll to Foaly's ears. The word flashed in big bold letters, obscuring his peripheral view with red. He whinnied in panic and spun quickly on his hooves – as quickly as a centaur can on four legs anyway. He approached his plasma computers and tapped into a keyboard. The warnings stopped immediately and a small window popped up at the center. Foaly wasted no time opening it and read the message.

**AIRCRAFT APPROACHING 65° 00' N, 18° 00' W. FAILURE TO IDENTIFY.**

The technical genius was baffled. Nothing under his radars and human satellites could not be detected, likewise fairy or Mud Man technology. _Unless…_ he thought, _that aircraft probably contained one of Haven's most prominent megalomaniac pixies in fairy history_. The only one who was able to hijack his own security and use it against him.

There was a nagging thought in Foaly's mind that said it was too suspicious. After all, if Koboi did want to cover her tracks, she could've done it easily without a hitch. There's also the possibility that they underestimated his system or those pixies didn't have the appropriate technology at hand. The centaur mulled how utterly irritating the situation was, but also relieved to have a lead on Koboi. He decided to give someone a call.

_Ireland, 2: 21 A.M. (UTC), Three Hours before Lockdown _

Major Holly Short leaned on a huge tree waiting for the arrival of LEP squadrons to guard Fowl Manor. Even with the thermo on, she shivered every time a cold gush of wind passed by. Her thoughts drifted to Artemis. She thought of how the genius was in a risky environment especially since she left him four hours ago. His condition also worried her very much – it wasn't everyday that the great Artemis Fowl got sick so seriously. Just remembering his tears and cries of pain earlier that night almost made her turn back and watch over him, until she also remembered why she left in the first place_. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Mud Boy._

The elf didn't realize she was pouting and childishly kicked a nearby stone, which rolled and disappeared behind some small bushes. She went back to silently wait for the officers to arrive before wondering if Artemis was sleeping peacefully after a long time. Holly decided she couldn't leave the Irish boy so vulnerable from any fairy and kicked her gears in. The elf was hovering a few feet from the ground when the familiar sound of shuttles came from below. Holly exhaled, grateful that the officers made it safely and that they could prevent this messy situation get any messier.

The LEP officers approached her hovering form and gave her respectful nods and salutes. The Major was glad to have more than a few recognizable faces and trusted comrades. She couldn't bring some terrified jocks to the Manor and make them work hand in hand with the Eurasian giant, Domovoi Butler.

"Major, we have orders from Commander Kelp to dispatch immediately upon arrival," a captain from the group below said.

Holly smiled dryly and nodded, "Alright men, move out!"

~•~

"Those fools sure are taking their time - the LEP will be here in an hour!" Future Opal fumed while looking at a handheld device. She turned her attention to her twin.

The pixie looked calmer than her future self. She appeared to be indifferent from anything except for her current environment. The Manor's grounds were covered with breathtakingly beautiful gardens of exotic plants, with the occasional burst of color from its flowers. The chilling and minty fresh Irish wind that blew all around them was phenomenal to any fairy. Even Opal Koboi was not spared – albeit, only the fairy one.

She kept a slow pace as she strolled through the wet grass and inhaled the air like she could never get enough.

The human pixie was getting annoyed at her own self's actions. Opal cleared her throat.

"What is the matter, sister?" whispered Past Opal as she craned her neck to look at the stars.

"I think you're enjoying this too much. Have you forgotten what we came here for?"

The beautiful pixie closed her eyes into slits and sighed heavily, "Oh please, don't use that tone on yourself sister. Of course I'm enjoying what I can from this world; I admit I'm too bemused with this atmosphere because of our dear Mud Boy. I certainly can't wait to have our hands on that worm."

Future Opal smiled wickedly at her past twin, and stole a glance at the window several feet above them. _Soon, Artemis._ _Soon, not even the whole world will be there to help you. _

Her communicator started beeping softly – a sign that signified everything was in place. And all Opal Koboi has to do to wrap things up is to literally push the button. She picked up six metal balls, the size of a marble and the weight of a pebble and threw them all up in the air. The metal balls reacted instantly and hovered a good feet above her head. They stayed there until they magnetized to one another, forming yellow electric lights between each ball. The lights extended forming a star shape with a metal ball on every end.

The human pixie's eyes glinted as she tapped into her handheld device, keying in commands to the metal balls' coordinates. The six balls suddenly rose upward until it reached the top of the highest peak of Fowl Manor. They expanded to cover every edge atop the manor's roofs and stopped right where Future Opal's toes rested, and forming a gigantic pentagram. Finally contented, she called Past Opal's attention and smirked.

"Phase Two – complete. "

"Would you like to take the honors?" the pixie squealed in excitement.

"Would you?" replied the other.

Together, without missing a beat, they pushed the button and the six metal balls above burst out into heavy fogs of green smoke, raining down on the manor like falling snow.

~•~

While the flight from the Tara Shuttle port was uneventful, Holly was feeling a pit of ominous premonition that something was bound to happen at any moment. She shifted her view every now and then to her left and right sides. Her stomach became queasy and the tips of her elfin ears were buzzing – which was a mystery on itself since it never buzzed so much before. She just hoped that Artemis was safe.

_I also hope I wasn't the stupid one behind this whole mess_, Holly thought.

Her squad was still an hour away from Fowl Manor when her helmet's com link whirred to life and Commander Kelp's face filled the screen. He looked like ten years older than his normal age but surprisingly, he looked almost giddy.

"Commander?"

"Ah, Major Short. I've received information from Foaly that Koboi's locations are known."

The Major's head cleared right away and felt a coming rush of adrenaline as she listened intently to her commanding officer.

The Commander continued, "An aircraft that couldn't be identified passed by Foaly's satellites, and we are positive that the convict is traveling through the country of Iceland. I need every LEP squad in Europe to regroup and head toward it."

"Affirmative, but I need at least two squads with me to go back for Fowl. If Koboi is targeting Artemis, it won't be easy to guard the Mud Boy without reinforcements."

"Accepted. Divide your group and head them to Iceland immediately. Relay all reports and information to Foaly."

The Major nodded, "Over and out."

The screen flickered once then it was blank. Holly stopped to turn to her men and waved them a clenched fist that signaled, stop. They all hovered together like a waiting army.

"Opal Koboi's locations have been updated to Iceland territory. I need two groups to go with me and the rest for regrouping with other LEP squadrons."

After the groups were decided, the men headed for Iceland left shortly and Holly and her men flew to the manor. She didn't know they were all in for a scare.

~•~

Past Opal Koboi leveled her own handheld device in front of the building across her and scanned the whole area. It produced several heat waves – two coming from a room on the right of the second floor, Angeline and Artemis Sr. Three heat waves that were of Juliet Butler and the twins coming from the left of the second floor's staircase. Butler, Artemis manservant's heat waves came from where he lay sprawled on the third floor's carpets. And Artemis Fowl the Second himself lay asleep on his bed, where the window of his room was directly below the evil twins.

Gamma waves and other weaker brain waves came from the bodies inside the building. Phase Three was also complete. The residence's occupants were all unconscious and asleep. Both Opal Kobois grinned at each other and shook their hands like they were congratulating themselves.

"Finally…" purred Future Opal.

"Finally, indeed. The DNA cannons aimed at every LEP officer's genetic code is programmed and ready. Whether the Brill brothers get first or the LEP get first, we will succeed in the end."

The human pixie cackled, her high pitched voice echoing a sinister-like sound around the stone walls of the mansion.

After a horrendous wait of twenty minutes, a Cham pod hummed silently beneath a dark clearing. Out stepped Merv and Scant Brill, each holding an InfiniBox and trudged wordlessly toward their mistresses. Both of them dropped to their knees when they came close to their forms and held out each box on one hand.

"Mistress, I have what you need right here," Descant offered the InfiniBox to Past Opal, who took it and hurriedly emptied its contents.

Future Opal was intrigued with the other box so she also took it from Merv's hand.

"What's inside this one?"

"What it has, Mistress, have been yours and only yours," Mervall murmured in low tones.

She lifted a delicate eyebrow at this and ignored the older twin's words, planning to open the contents of the box in another time. At that moment, her past self had already finished setting up the towers. Future Opal calibrated the device and tapped them twice. _All ready to go. _

Past Opal clapped her hands together in glee, "Ooh, I can't wait any longer!"

"Patience, sister. The show is just about to begin," then she activated the Time-stop, hindering everything beyond the protective sphere from interfering their plan.

From a distance, the vibrations of hummingbird wings and the slight shimmers in the night air only made matters a lot worse.

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><p><strong>Sooo that was the end of another (lousy?) chapter. i hope you liked it, i couldnt write for such a long time, im afraid im losing my touch (boohoo) anyway, please read, review, fav and follow! <strong>


	10. A Magic Trick

**HO-HO-HO! A Christmas update for all you AF lovers! Let me hear a cheer! (Whoop, Whoop!) A MERRY MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU READERS :D I've been really generous today, its a looong chapter, y'know. Once again, reviewers, you are the tree of life, the water of my cup, the blood of my veins, the dolce to my gabbana, the shirt to my pants - Er, anyway you get the point LMFAO. Begrudgingly, its neither a warm or cold Christmas with our boy genius right now, we could only hope for his safety *gasp* PLEASE Rate and Review, Fav and Follow my lovely ladies ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Santa Eion is coming to town with a whole series of Artemis Fowl books so the rights go to Colfer (boo!)**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><em>Fowl Manor, Dublin, Ireland, Now<em>

"Take cover! Take cover!" shouted Holly Short as she swerved to her right, a DNA cannon blast nearly blowing her to bits.

Retreating hastily from the proximity of the manor, the LEP officers scanned the surrounding area. They kept a lengthy distance and shifted nervously in mid-air. One of the officers' scanners dinged and he held it up to the Major's direction, indicating the device.

"DNA Cannons, identified. Quite a large a number – partially surrounding the whole place, and a blast area within a five mile radius."

The Major gnashed her teeth, "Koboi… I should've guessed she was out for revenge."

She looked at her own scanner and mentally calculated how much fire power would take down an army of DNA cannons. The diminutive elf tried in vain to think of a fool-proof strategy, but most of her plans were either too risky or too slow. Time didn't seem to cooperate with them at the moment so she hoped to Frond that Foaly's offline network worked. Whispering low on her throat mike, Holly gave a silent prayer that the technical wiz was on the receiving end. The visuals on her helmet spurred to life, and a hazy screen filled her view of the centaur. She almost sighed in relief but the hard part hadn't even started yet. The Major cleared her throat.

"Ah, Holly, the connection isn't stable. Lock-down is in T-minus forty-two minutes, and we could only send messages through e-mails -" said the technical genius without looking up.

"Opal Koboi is at Fowl Manor and we've got our hands full with some D'arvitting DNA Cannons – an armada of them."

Foaly neighed in surprise, a shrill shriek of static that made the elf's ears ring. He gaped like a fish and kept opening and closing his jaw before nodding like a lost child in a mall. Holly didn't even try to give her friend a funny look – she was too high on nerves to acknowledge his comical episode. She waited as the familiar click-clacking of Foaly's keyboard filled the background silence. A minute passed and her palms began to sweat, her mismatched eyes darting back and fort from Fowl Manor and her group of LEP officers. Holly didn't want to know what was possibly happening inside the stone walls – she could only hope Butler and Artemis could handle a few moments without fairy help.

_They're fine - fine, _she coaxed herself. _If Boy Wonder isn't actually half-dead right now, _the Major added. She cringed at the thought.

Foaly was done before the elf could ask him and he showed a layout to Holly's helmet, explaining subtly how DNA Cannons worked. At this, the Major only rolled her eyes but didn't bother interrupting him. The centaur continued to ramble about certain weak spots the cannons have and advised her not to use laser beams in disarming them.

"I've downloaded the data from your scanners and it's safe to assume that Koboi didn't bother to modify her latest version. It is quite a pain to shoot each of those pesky cannons without getting burnt to a crisp yourself, so to say…"

The Major gave a shove-it-and-get-on-with-the-important-stuff look at the centaur. He gave an indignant snort in return but complied.

"You just have to use the critters to locate the weak spot that I'm programming right now on all of your officers. You should use some of the weapons I sent there – there's a special type of device specially made for emergencies like this. They look like Mud Man handguns, minus the barbaric design, though they have the same effect with buzz batons. These babies shoot micro electric-wires that wraps around the object and can electrify it to a thousand volts," he finished with a smug look.

Again, the elf rolled her eyes but also equally impressed. A small tug on her lower lip was the only response she could muster for her friend. Though Holly would never admit it personally to the centaur, she was always thankful Foaly always had her back.

"Thanks a lot Pony Boy, Artemis owes you a whole mountain of carrots and I, a bottle of nettle juice."

The technical genius grinned despite the situation. "I knew there were advantages being friends with the Mud Boy. Good luck, Holls."

He saluted lamely before dissolving in static and leaving an exasperated elf on the other line.

_LEP Headquarters, Ops Booth_

The technical wiz almost fell out of his chair a second time after he ended the line with Holly. He didn't know what to feel – being tricked by Opal Koboi twice. The thought was very funny indeed, if he wasn't Foaly – the LEP's technical genius. Another round of random thoughts bombarded his mind space.

_The world is in danger, Kelp is going to have my hooves on a body bag, I can't believe that megalomaniac tricked me again! _And, _Artemis really has a knack for bad luck._

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his thoughts and reluctantly dialed the Commander's communicator. Commander Kelp was presently patrolling and making sure everything was in order since most of the LEP was aboveground. The Lock-down was fast approaching and Foaly was going crazy. The communicator on his hand buzzed and the unmistakable voice of Trouble Kelp could be heard on the line. He gulped, not at all ready to deliver the message. He hoped his booth was an indestructible fortress against a very enraged LEP Commander.

_Fowl Manor, Time-Stop in Progress_

Past Opal Koboi wasted no time setting up the Time-field portal that would allow her access to the normal flow of time outside the time-stop barrier. She was careful where to set the coordinates of the portal, choosing the most secluded part of the manor and the closest to Artemis' room. After a successful ten minute configuration, she turned her attention to her twin.

Future Opal glanced at her direction, sensing her thoughts. She smiled knowingly and hefted the black smooth form of the InfiniBox like a prize. For some reason, it was.

"I trust everything is in place?" the human pixie purred.

Her past self flicked a dark strand of hair from her beautiful face, "Quite - all we need are distractions to complicate those half-brained LEP officers."

This time, Future Opal's lips curved upward – catlike. She eyed the shadowy shapes of the Brill Brothers. The pixie twins have been useful to her for some time now, and the three of them were always a team ever since she built Koboi Laboratories. But for greater things to accomplish, sometimes lesser sacrifices were needed. Merval and Descant were the perfect candidates. Anyway, she had herself for a partner now – something she could never had hoped for.

Past Opal knew what her future self was planning, she caught her eye for a moment then a tug on her lips also rose. They were in synced – _how perfect_. The Brill twins were cowards for a fact and they might cower from the two Koboi's power, but they would never have the nerves to become live bait for them. Or so they thought.

She called for them, "You two, I have orders for you."

Merv and Scant Brill didn't miss a beat as they strode quickly to their Mistresses. They bowed deeply, visibly avoiding eye contact since Opal Koboi always complained about it. The older twin was startled when Past Opal lifted a hand to touch his shoulder. The other hand cupped the side of his face, forcibly turning it to look at her. Immediately, Merv's tensed body relaxed and his eyes unfocused, making a blank look. Once Scant was aware of the movement, he also took a look at his Mistress' eyes and joined his brother in a trance.

_Lovely idiotic worms_, thought Past Opal cheerfully.

In a heavy laden voice full of mesmer, she commanded, "_You two will join me outside the time-stop and guard my safety until I reach the building. When a squad of LEP officers nears this location, you will act as bait. Understood?"_

A dead chorus of 'Yes, Mistress' sounded from the pixie twins. Now, they don't have to beg for mercy – she'll be giving them a swift one.

"It would be enjoyable to play with the Mud Whelp like this," sighed Future Opal.

Her past self held a twinkle in her eyes with the suggestion. "Don't worry - I have plans for that to happen soon."

And with those parting words, Past Opal turned on her heels, the Brill Brothers trudging to follow her. Future Opal graced herself with a contented giggle and also made her way to enter the Fowls' home.

~•~

The female pixie ducked into the shadows of the stone walls of the manor. She levitated a foot above the ground, making a fast pace towards her target. The other two pixies walked slowly behind their Mistress with their blank stares and carried human pistols. Past Opal hovered outside the darkest corner of the building and searched for a nearby window. A glint caught her eye and she noticed a partially opened stained glass window on the far right corner. The pixie drifted towards it and widened the gap.

Meanwhile, Mervall and Descant walked away from the building and into the gates of Fowl Manor. They set up Mud Man technology based firearms such as grenades and lead bullets. The Kobois knew human firearms were trickier to heal than Neutrinos. And while the brothers were under Past Opal's heavy mesmer, they won't stop until they wouldn't be able to lift a limb during the attack.

"Hmmm," murmured the pixie as she climbed down into the room. Two Mud Children were asleep on beds and the Mud Maid named Juliet Butler was face down beside one of the two boys.

She merely passed them by as she strutted her way out of the room. Being on the second floor of the house, Opal located the staircase leading to an archway of the third floor - where Artemis' room was directly facing it. Slowly, she put her right foot forward, then the left. As she relished the climb on the flight of stairs, she also took in how majestic Fowl Manor was even for a Mud Man dwelling. _Pity it wouldn't be for such a time_, she smirked at the thought.

From her earlier experience during the time she possessed the Irish boy's mother, it was inexplicably easy to control anyone afterward. Though she might enjoy controlling the Mud Boy while his consciousness was present delightful, she couldn't risk their plans escaping her own brilliant pixie head. Past Opal will have to be content on using the mesmer on the genius instead.

The tips of her sensitive fairy ears twitched, sensing loud vibrations all around the manor. It was no doubt the LEP were already battling their way in.

"No time to dawdle, then," she muttered under her breath.

~•~

"I can't deny the Mud Worm has some taste with decorations," harrumphed Future Opal Koboi as she took in the overly lavish hallways and rooms.

Everything seemed to be gleaming or twinkling like gems, the old oak tables and doors adding regality to the atmosphere. Somehow, Opal felt smug to personally have a hand ruining the whole estate. She gave her attention to the waiting InfiniBox on her palm. It felt cool and smooth, but mostly powerful and evil. The human pixie had to give her warmest thanks to the Brill twins for giving her a reunion with her beloved Koboi tech. _If they survived the ordeal, that is._

The small onyx box looked as innocent as how sinister the contents were. Future Opal tapped the pass code and gently dropped it on the space in front of her. The InfiniBox grew in size like computer pixels and Opal reached into it, her hand visibly disappearing through the black void. She keyed in a command and the contents of her choice appeared on her outstretched hand inside the box.

A smooth white sphere, the size of a bowling ball was what the human pixie took out of the InfiniBox. She clicked on the button at its top and the front side of the white sphere opened. Inside, fifty nanobots that looked like black widows were incased. She caressed each crystal case with the tips of her fingers and fashioned a remote control out of the sphere.

"I wonder if the blasted centaur would be impressed. Frankly, I started the idea and he copied it backwards."

~•~

Artemis Fowl II opened his bleary and tired eyes, and surprisingly felt a tiny weight coming from the side of his bed. Initially, he thought it was his best friend, Major Holly Short who came back from wherever she ran to after their verbal fight. The genius was about to open his mouth and make a witty comment when he noticed something was different. First of all, he could only see a black blur of hair and porcelain skin. The room was inhumanely quiet for two occupants inside the room. And knowing his mother, Angeline Fowl would've insisted Butler to stay by her son's side until morning. Then a thought so fast struck like lighting made his head feel woozy. _Butler! Where is Butler? _The Irish boy couldn't feel any other presence except for the stranger on his bed and his own strained shallow breathing. Artemis knew who this adversary was.

"Why, it's plainly rude to admit yourself in my room, Opal," he said coolly.

The pixie's blurry form became focused as he gazed directly on her face. She was an enticingly dangerous beautiful woman and her bloody smile made him break in cold sweat. He kept his eyes trained on her lips, never making any accidental eye contact. Past Opal noticed this.

"For an awfully sick Mud Boy, you're surprisingly attentive," she purred. "But whatever plan forming inside that head of yours would be completely useless. After all, no one's here to save you now, Fowl."

Artemis gritted his teeth. He knew she must've done something to his family and the Butlers, probably immobilizing them to help him. "You will never get away with this, Koboi."

"Oh how cliché, do you know the entire manor is in a time-stop field?"

That bit made the genius gulp nervously. He felt the whole room vibrate and tremble. Holly must be outside trying to get in whatever barricade the evil pixie put up.

"Ah, of course you don't – silly me. Hoping for a rescue?" she chided.

"Stop saying random things, pixie and tell me what you want," Artemis hissed.

Her hand was like a whip as it landed on his left cheek. His skin burned with the slap and his head jerked sideways with the force. Artemis couldn't help his eyes widen at the surprise.

Opal's face reddened and she yelled at the top of her lungs, "You do not give orders to me, Worm! I will only tell you what I want to tell and ask what I want to ask!"

The genius faced her and glared icily, his hazel and blue-black eyes gleamed like hard stones. He very badly wanted to curse the megalomaniac, but he couldn't lose composure at a time like this. The pixie continued to talk.

"We want revenge, Fowl. A very painful one. I think you'd like to hear that your family and fairy friends would be safe – even the entire world, but not you or this delicious mansion," she cackled.

"If you think you're leaving this room, you are very wrong."

He hoped his bluff was effective. He might have been caught off-guard with Past Opal's appearance, but he installed paralyzing gas inside his room. He always had a gas mask under one of his feather pillows. Unfortunately, the pixie brushed off his threat like a little child saying he wants to become the president.

"Oh but you're wrong, Fowl. I won't be leaving this room under any circumstance. Especially not with you."

Before the last words left her lips, she lunged on the pale boy and grabbed his neck. She pinned him down with incredible force – a result from the animal experiments she concocted on herself. Past Opal squeezed until Artemis was helplessly flailing his thin arms and legs under the pixie's weight. Gray blotches danced around his vision and thinking he was about to pass out, Opal's smirking face filled the blurry space. With her other free hand, she swept Artemis' raven hair from his eyes and gazed at him. Artemis couldn't help but also look into her eyes. The last thing he remembered before going in a daze was the thundering footsteps coming from outside of his room and the swooshing sound of his door opening.

"Artemis Fowl, you will answer only to Opal Koboi."

_I can't say no to that wonderfully beautiful voice_, he thought.

"Yes… "

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah! it's the end of the chapter, "A Magic Trick" and I hope you liked it loved it. What do you thinks gonna happen next? please stay tune with this story of A Dose of Karma by mois :P Have a Merry Christmas once again! Ciao~**


	11. A Storm is Coming

**Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2015's a better year than the last. It sure is nice to start things anew and freshen ourselves up for changes. What I'd really like to change about myself first and foremost are my stinking writing skills and flat ideas. Really. Oooh and I hope everybody enjoyed their new year celebrations. I gotta say those fireworks burned my eyes (freaky) So this chap is also longer than the usual 'cause it's a holiday update! (huzzaa) I give my thanks to all the readers, reviewers, and followers! please keep on reading this story :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I mispelled Eoin Colfer's name ever since the very beginning (im ashamed) NOT! serves him right, I'm too jealous to apologize anyway. EION, EOIN, whatever his name is, has the rights to own the Artemis Fowl Series. **

**Enjoy~**

* * *

><p><em>Lower Elements Police, Haven City<em>

A fuming Commander Trouble Kelp sat idly in front one of Foaly's plasma computers, never uttering a single word. Lock-down was in T-minus thirty-one minutes and counting, but the centaur felt like he wasn't safe at all. A few minutes ago after he called, the Commander came banging on his ops booth and flashing a very dark grin. The technical genius thought it wasn't funny, and mumbled an apology in hopes Trouble won't butcher him after all.

"'Sorry?' A 'sorry' won't cut it!" Kelp said through gritted teeth. "Koboi is loose and a great number of our men are out there on a wild goose chase. Before any of them gets to Fowl Manor, it would be too late. I can't believe you let her trick you twice. D'arvit, centaur!"

The technical genius couldn't even form coherent speech and spluttered before Commander Kelp waved his words away. He rubbed his face in exasperation and sighed heavily, slouching on a nearby console. His tired eyes roamed the countless plasma computers and asked questions like nothing happened. So, they spent the last twenty minutes communicating with the LEP groups around Iceland and directing them all to Fowl Manor.

"Poor Artemis," whispered Foaly to himself.

Trouble's elfin ears caught it and he scowled. "Fowl is anything but poor. If something happens to him, it's because he did things to deserve it."

The Commander's words were full of spite – that much appealed to the centaur. Foaly eyed him before returning to the task at hand. _Trouble's got issues_, he thought knowingly.

_Fowl Manor, Dublin, Ireland, Normal Time_

"I need an officer for every three cannons. We have to storm the manor simultaneously, so wait for my signal before pulling the trigger."

"Affirmative," saluted the group to Holly.

"All right!"

Major Short stretched her right arm forward, palm to the side – indicating for the squad of LEP officers to Fowl Manor. She watched as each of her officers hovered a few meters before the five feet radius of the DNA cannons' blast area. The air was heavy and chilling – the signs of a heavy downpour. It seemed even the weather knew the dangers of the situation and it came down to warn them. Overhead, the rumbles of banging drums and bursts of light were the only signs that a storm was coming. It was going to be hard seeing things in front of their eyes when the rain begins. Holly knew Artemis wasn't safe but at least, she could hope he was still alive.

All the men seemed to be ready and were all waiting for her signal. The Major made her way towards the front of Fowl Manor's gates and planted herself between three DNA cannons. She aimed her Electrino – the group thought it was an appropriate nickname, on the second cannon.

"Ready… " She whispered, knowing the LEP officers were on stand-by. "Aim, Fire!"

Their weapons gave a loud hiss as the electric wires found their targets. A teardrop from the sky found its way on Holly's cheek and she wiped it with the back of her hand. The officers gave a soft cheer as each of the DNA cannons self-destruct and the rain began to fall. The lightning and thunder were telling her everything was about to get worse.

~•~

The squad regrouped where the elf was currently standing – in front of the mansion's gigantic gates. She mentally counted each officer as they landed next to her. Their expressions were hard, yet they all knew they had a small victory entering the premises. Her group of LEP officers was soaked and some were visibly shivering now and then. Nevertheless, Major Holly Short knew they were ready to confront Koboi.

She led them to the walkway and gingerly pushed the gate. The Major was surprised it was unlocked – very odd for Butler to leave it open, but she couldn't blame the big guy especially with the current circumstances. It was her first time in many years to enter Fowl Manor through the main door; she always seemed to visit Artemis through his bedroom window. And the genius never complained about it really. Thinking about the pale boy right now seemed to be a bad idea, since she didn't notice the presence of two pixies, both armed to the bone with Mud Man guns.

An officer was warning her when a bullet ricocheted to her direction. Holly swerved to her left but she was a beat too late and the metal ball embedded itself on her right shoulder. The diminutive elf cried in pain and let out a burst of Neutrino blast at the assailant. The pixie moved slowly but he managed to duck out of the way, only nicking a lock of hair in the process. The second pixie, who Holly realized was Descant Brill, threw hand grenades at them.

"Take cover!" The Major yelled for the second time that night at the top of her lungs, ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder.

She rolled her way to a thicket of bushes and stones, and lay flat on the ground. Blue sparks arched around the open wound but it refused to heal completely. Holly had to take the bullet out before it healed the flesh and closed around it completely. She was about to prod the wound when a burst of rocks and soil showered on top of her hiding place.

The Manor's grounds were in chaos as LEP officers and bullets danced in the night. Some were shot, some managed to destroy the firearms. But she could tell their only enemies were the Brill brothers and no Opal Koboi in sight. Holly grunted as she forced her legs fold underneath her body and crouched cautiously towards the firefight. She had to disarm the twins, they were meant as leverage for distraction and she couldn't let Koboi do anything to the genius inside the manor.

Even with the blood seeping out and soaking her shimmer suit, the elf continued to pray for Artemis.

"Please be safe."

~•~

Dark clouds rolled in rage and lightning struck like the wrath Holly felt. The winds were unbearable and rain poured mercilessly. They finally managed to capture the Brill twins and found that they were both mesmerized – undoubtedly by their Mistress. It was so cold and the whipping leaves and branches made a horrid picture outside. The elf's stomach clenched in uneasiness as she lead the way to Fowl Manor's entrance and stepped into the grand living room. Her gaze immediately went for the staircase where it led to Angeline and Artemis Sr.'s rooms, and Myles and Beckett's.

Usually, it took minutes for Holly to reach the top in normal situations, but she zoomed so fast that she landed on its hallway in a matter of seconds. Ten officers followed her lead and checked every room for its occupants. The Major didn't even bat an eye as they passed the Mud Boy's parents or his brothers and even Juliet. Her only concern was locating Artemis.

They neared another corner that led to the second staircase, and the diminutive elf felt herself launching to thin air and landing soundlessly on the lush carpet of the third floor. The genius' room was ten steps away but Holly couldn't move an inch now that she was facing Artemis' door. Her heart pounded like a hammer and it took all her self-control to stop herself from crumbling right then and there.

A captain tapped her shoulder and she jerked at the touch. He nodded towards the door and seemed to ask Holly permission. She blinked.

"Major, we're waiting for your orders," said the captain.

"Uh, right, okay."

Holly wordlessly stomped towards the genius' room, feeling dread bursting underneath her skin. She clamped her hand on the door's handle, the cold steel burning like a furnace. Without a second thought, she pushed the door open with a loud swooshing sound and gasped. Her head felt light and her knees threatened to weaken. The hairs on the back of her head stood on end.

The elf found Artemis standing, his pale skin bathed in silver moonlight and his mismatched irises jagged and glazed. The most unnerving thing was his smile – it was crooked and humorless. He looked so much like a broken doll, Holly thought it was a nightmare - until he spoke.

"We have guests, Mistress." Artemis' voice carried inside the room. Its timbres were placid and cool sending shivers to the group of officers. He never wiped the smile off his face and it made the Major more unnerved than ever. The dulling pain in her right shoulder was the only thing that kept her rooted to reality. She scanned the whole room for any danger but the only thing she found was another form behind the genius. She didn't have to guess. It was Opal Koboi in pixie form.

"Why, hello dear guests," chirped Past Opal Koboi as she materialized on top of the Mud Boy's bed. The pixie smiled like a predator and stared sweetly at Artemis. She reached upward and ruffled Artemis' hair like a child's and grinned at Holly's direction. "Like what I did to this incorrigible boy, Short?"

"Release Artemis or we will use all means to stop you. This is your only warning," the Major spat back.

Past Opal was clearly amused. She hooked her tiny arm with the Mud Boy's and pretended to think. Her dark brown eyes flashed and the madness was there for all to see.

"How about… " she started softly. "Never!"

The shrillness of her voice pierced Holly's sensitive elfin ears and she flinched. She knew it was a hopeless situation but she was a trained LEP officer, she can make negotiations under heavy pressure. She tried her luck.

"What do you want Opal? Why have you come here?" Holly knew the answer but asked anyway.

Opal studied her nails for a minute and whispered in Artemis' ear. The genius seemed to comply with whatever the pixie was telling him so the Major decided to play the game warily. He sat on his bed, directly in front of the group of LEP officers. Holly almost cried in surprise as the evil pixie sat on his lap and snuggled on his chest. Her eyes fluttered closed and opened them in slits. Past Opal looked at them under her lashes.

It took all of Major Short's self-control from doing anything rash and stupid. She breathed deeply – Holly wouldn't let the pixie watch her frustrated.

"Hmm. This is most comfortable. Don't you think so, Aaarty?" she drawled the last word.

The Mud Boy, with his unnerving smile answered, "Truly, the most."

The pixie giggled like a little girl and the elf cleared her throat. Opal glared daggers at her but she didn't say anything afterwards. Holly repeated her question.

Past Opal laughed wickedly. "Revenge, Worm," She paused and tugged hard on Artemis' head that some strands of raven hair came loose from her grip. The pixie looked at the boy and slapped him once again - red hand marks swelled on his other cheek. "-is the sweetest thing."

Still, the pale boy smiled and looked at Opal like she was everything in the world. Holly's grip finally found her Neutrino 3000 holstered at the side of her hip and she was soothed by its presence. She had to distract Opal somehow, she had to save Artemis.

"Opal, if you surrender right now, the LEP is willing to give you a chance behind bars and nothing else."

The beautiful pixie smirked. "I know what you're planning, Short. But it's all in vain. You have lost already and I'm here to give the bitter taste of defeat!"

Ignoring the steely hard gazes of the LEP officers, Past Opal slung her arms around Artemis' neck and looked at Holly. The Major's Neutrino was in her outstretched hand and aimed it at the pixie's direction. Her body felt on fire and hatred contained her whole being. _If I have to shoot Artemis to get through Opal, then so be it. _

Holly cocked the gun and carefully aimed it at Artemis' knee. Before she could've shot the Mud Boy, Opal released her hold on him and he stumbled backward, his body limping.

"H-Holly?" he rasped through pained breathing.

The elf faltered and it was all what the pixie was waiting for. Past Opal let out a burst of energy that blasted the officers a few feet, their bodies connecting solidly on the walls. They were instantly disarmed – their Neutrinos and other weapons came flying out of their reach. Holly's ears were ringing and she struggled to sit up but it was no use. Some of the officers were unconscious and some were groaning, still, all of them were in one piece. The elf tried to crawl on a nearby discarded Neutrino. With a trembling hand, she reached out and closed her fingers around the weapon.

"Arrgh!" cried Holly as Past Opal's heeled foot came crashing down on her hand.

Using her telekinetic powers, the pixie flicked her hand on the Major's form and the elf was suspended in mid-air. Opal clicked her tongue. "You've always been an annoying insect Holly Short. I would looove to mess your pretty little face and watch you cry but I have pressing matters to do first," she pouted. Glancing down on the Neutrino, she picked it up and sighed, "Bye-bye, pretty little insect."

"Sto-o-o-p!" Artemis hurled himself on Opal but before he could touch a part of her, he was thrown off on his side. He stood again on shaky legs and blurry eyes but the genius was determined to fight Koboi. It was a very stupid thing to do for a mastermind yet he couldn't let his friends get hurt. He was looking for a concealed weapon in his room when his body became rigid and the only thing he could do was blink his eyes.

"This is priceless!" Koboi giggled. "You really are quite entertaining, Fowl. To be fair, I'll give you a chance to choose, and you will make your choice now."

Artemis didn't reply – the noise of dripping rain and rolling thunder filled the room. The pixie frowned at him and at the elf. "Do you not care what happens to yourself or to this pathetic fairy?" she scowled.

In return, the genius only closed his eyes. Past Opal realized he couldn't talk and sheepishly grinned, "My bad. Now, Choose. Fight and this elf will die," her other hand held up the Neutrino with the highest setting on Holly's heart. "Come with me and she will live."

Artemis felt Holly's eyes on him and she was pleading – pleading to save himself. He tore his gaze away from the elf and blinked at the pixie, knowing he had to choose eventually. His body sagged to the floor and his chest tightened uncomfortably. Artemis tried to gain a steady breathing but it felt like the air inside the room was too thick to breathe in. He couldn't keep himself from trembling.

The Major was no longer stranded in mid-air and she also crumpled to the floor like a sack of dough. Her head jerked upwards, watching Past Opal Koboi approach the genius. If looks could kill, Holly would've done it on the pixie a hundred times already. She tried to form words but they were garbled, "Do-ont. Ar- Artemirgh!"

The pale boy felt the pixie's shadow in front of him but he didn't look up. His mouth was in a tight line as he waited for Opal to do something. The shadow moved and he found Koboi looking at him, her hand tucked on his chin and lifting his head upward. She smiled cruelly and said," What is your answer?"

Artemis looked one last time at Holly and whispered, "She will live."

The tears on the elf's eyes flowed like a river. She couldn't believe it - the Mud Boy just offered his life so easily to the megalomaniac. It was more heartbreaking to know that Artemis did it for her sake but she still couldn't understand why. _Why? Why, Artemis? Why are you so stupid?_ How could she be more important than his family and himself? Holly screamed at Artemis with all her strength to take his words back but Opal flung her backwards, hitting her head and the world faded to black.

_Artemis' Room, Fowl Manor, Hours Later_

Holly's last memories before waking up on the cold plush carpet was Past Opal's bloody smile and a single tear rolling down from Artemis' hazel eye. Her head pounded with a splitting headache and her ears buzzed that she couldn't hear a thing. Thankfully, the Major's eyes were clear enough to scan her surroundings and found many of her men waking up and healing the injured. Before any of them could fully get up, a familiar voice came booming through Artemis' room. It was Butler, and his eyes were searching the room for his charge. He looked ready to spill some blood if no one would tell him where Artemis was.

"He's gone," said the elf so softly, she didn't know if the manservant heard her or not. Hot tears threatened to fall again but she held them in and her lip quivered.

The giant Eurasian took in the Major's appearance and his look softened a bit. He supported the elf with one arm until Holly could stand on her own. She didn't look Butler in the eye and she limped away while talking. "It was Koboi – she escaped and came for revenge."

"I know, Artemis informed me last night and I was updating the Fowl's security before I was knocked out," the bodyguard gritted his teeth and palmed at his Sig Sauer. "I should've been here protecting him instead!"

Holly gave him a pained expression. She shook her head slowly. "If it's someone's fault big guy, it would be mine."

Their conversation was disturbed by a rush of wind and the numerous heat shimmers in the air. The last numbers of the Lower Elements Police materialized inside the genius' bedroom. A few Majors questioned Holly with what happened and where Koboi could have gone. She didn't have an answer to give them, and their only hope locating the evil twins were gone – abducted by Opal Koboi. The group made a search for hidden weapons inside the room but only discovered human ones. The Major reported all of this to Foaly and the centaur said that the Commander would like them to ask assistance with the Mud Man giant. Their only other sliver of hope was Artemis' bodyguard and the search was for the megalomaniacs were continued all around Europe.

~•~

Holly hung her head after passing the orders to her men and Butler ushered her to eat and sleep. It was impossible to think of sleep after what happened but sooner or later, her body would give up. She knew what she had to do before anything else – the elf has to explain the situation to Artemis' family. If there was no chance of ever locating Artemis, Holly had to at least give the genius some credit and let his parents and brothers know what had had happened for the past six years.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Butler uncertainly as he guided the elf to the Fowls' dining room.

Holly nodded. She couldn't think of anything else that would justify Artemis' actions and what happened that night. It was time for the truth. Looking at the intricately designed wooden table, she knew everything normal about the humans' life was about to change. She and Butler were standing at the entrance but no one noticed her. She cleared her throat rather loudly and said in a strong urgent voice,

"I'm a friend of Artemis' and my name is Holly Short. Your son is in danger."

A chair clanging down the floor was the only response before the elf covered her sensitive ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

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><p><strong>I hope im making progress with this story, ive been reading lots of books and ive been comparing my writing style. Im trying to improve everything, i really am, but i think my words are too stiff or something (boohoo) I dont know if i have enough imagination to blow all your minds but, cross my fingers. i hope i get there. Please RATE and Review, Fave and Follow! Happy New Year once again!<strong>


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